Contemporary Developments in Indonesian Islam: Explaining the "Conservative Turn"

6. Mapping Radical Islam: A Study of the Proliferation of Radical Islam in Solo, Central Java

190 6 MaPPIng radIcal IslaM: a study of the ProlIferatIon of radIcal IslaM In solo, central Java Muhammad Wildan IntroductIon Solo is a unique city.1 Previously known as the centre of the great Islamic Mataram Kingdom, Solo is also well known as the heartland of Javanese culture, a culture into which Islam has been mixed. The people of Solo are famous for their distinctive behaviour, graciousness and refined manners, besides their gorgeous batiks.2 These characteristics also permeate their language, which is the most highly evolved Javanese in Java.3 On the other hand, since the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Solo has become a place where various Islamic radicals have flourished. In the middle of the New Order period, some of the leaders of the Pondok Pesantren Al-Mukmin in Ngruki opposed the government and openly expressed their desire to establish an Islamic state. Their involvement in the Usrah movement in the 1980s forced Abdullah Sungkar and Abu Bakar Ba’asyir to flee to Malaysia. Abu Bakar Ba’asyir’s involvement in the establishment of Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI) in 2000 signified the re-emergence of Darul Islam’s power in Indonesia in general, and in Yogyakarta and Solo in particular. More recently, the issue of Pondok A Study of the Proliferation of Radical Islam in Solo, Central Java 191 Ngruki resurfaced with the school’s alleged connections to radical Islamic violence, including the Bali bombings. The International Crisis Group (ICG) first introduced the term the “Ngruki Network” as the “group” most responsible for acts of radical violence since the beginning of the twenty-first century. In its further development, the network has become notorious as Jama’ah Islamiyah (JI), one of the factions of S.M. Kartosuwiryo’s Darul Islam, which allegedly acts as the link to Al-Qaeda in Southeast Asia.4 Solo became notorious for the “sweeping” of hotels and bars by vigilante groups targeting Americans and other Western aliens. Although the Front Pemuda Islam Surakarta (FPIS) has been at the forefront of such activities, it is not the only vigilante group in Solo. The decline of the Soeharto regime in 1998 was marked by the emergence of vigilante groups who tried to participate in social and political issues, either locally or nationally. All of the above suggests that Solo is rife with radical Islamic groups. Although not all Islamic vigilante groups are “radical”, to a certain extent, they are all similarly involved in violent activities. Despite the proliferation of Islamic radical groups in the city, there have been no significant efforts to adopt shariah-based local regulations (peraturan daerah shariah). Although some radical groups are concerned with shariah, their demand for shariah-based regulations has not found widespread support among the Solonese. In other words, only a fraction of society supports the Islamic radical groups in the city. As far as Solo is concerned, the reason for this is simple: Solo and its surrounding regions are overwhelmingly abangan in character. Santri, or pious Islam, is only an ideal for a minority in the region; radical Islam meets with even less public approval. Thus, minimal support for radical Islam at the grassroots level means that it is impossible for shariah legislation to be accepted in the city. The minority position of devout Muslims may explain why this group tends towards radicalism. The fact that they have only recently “converted” to santri Islam could be another reason for their radical disposition. To understand the full implications of Islam in the city, we need to start at the beginning. socIal and hIstorIcal background of solo Understanding Islam in Solo requires that we start by analysing the origins of the religion’s development in the city. The role played by the region’s kings was significant for the later development of Islam in Solo. It was 192 Muhammad Wildan the kings who had, during the colonial period, established the first major educational institutions of Solo, the Pondok Jamsaren and the Madrasah Manba’ al-‘Ulum. In addition, several villages that played a significant role in the early development of Islam in the city deserve mention, such as Kauman, Pasar Kliwon, and Laweyan. These villages (now wards of the city) have long been strongholds of orthodox Islam, but in order to understand the dynamics of Islamic activism in Solo, it is important to understand that in most other parts of the city and regency, there is...