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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 May 2025
What role, if any, does kinship play in the ability of Indonesia's Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) to rejuvenate itself? I aim to show how conceptions of kinship have important ramifications for the ways these and other jihadists establish political authority among their recruits and capitalise on the perceived grievances suffered by Muslims world wide to galvanise the anger among marginalised young Muslims. Although kinship is the most arcane aspect of anthropological study, we need to understand it, if we are to analyse elements of society, like those of jihadists, who conceive of their organisations in terms of blood relationships and ties of affinity. In this context, it is essential to establish the importance of blood relations and parenthood, rather than simply looking at the more general rituals of kinship, such as ‘spiritual kinship’ in Christian societies (Parkin, 1997: 124).
[1] Interviewed in Jakarta Prison, 2005.
[2] For further information on this rebellion, see Horikoshi (1975: 59-89) and Van Dijk (1981).
[3] For an overview of NII movement, see Santoso (1996: Appendix 3).
[4] Interview with one of Darul Islam leaders, Gaos Taufiq in Medan, South Sumatra, 2005.
[5] An interview with Gaos Taufiq, a Darul Islam leader in November 2006, revealed that the invitation to come to Afghanistan came from Abdullah Azzam who gave a sermon in Mecca in the early 80ies. An Indonesian jihadist who heard Azzam's sermon promised him that he would get more recruits in Indonesia. This jihadist contacted the Indonesian Moslem Youth Movement and some elements of Darul Islam.
[6] In Azzam's seminal book, Ilhaq bil Hafilah (English translation - Join the Caravan, 2001), he states that Jihad comes just after Iman (faith), which makes it a pillar of Islam, but maintains there is a difference between ‘offensive’ Jihad which is kifaya (collective), and ‘defensive’ Jihad, which is ayn (compulsory for individuals).
[7] Interviews conducted by the author in 2003 with Ali Ghufron (alias Mukhlas), the field commander of Bali bombs in Bali prison. Muklas claimed that he fought with bin Laden in Jaji in 1987 during the sacred month of Ramadan. Many of the founding fathers of Al Qaeda participated in the battle, including Enaam Arnaut, a Syrian-born US citizen; Ayman al-Zawahiri; Abu Zaubair Al Madani, who was killed in Bosnia in 1992; and the Saudi Abu Abdurrahman (alias Hassan as-Sarehi).
[8] Oplan Bojinka, a plan to assassinate the pope and then-US President Bill Clinton in Manila, and to blow up eleven airplanes over the Pacific in early 1995. The plan included hijacking planes and crashing a plane into the CIA. The specifics have been much debated. See Peter Lance's Triple Cross. This later became the blueprint for 9/11. As a practice run, they exploded a bomb on a Philippines Airlines flight to Tokyo in December 1994. Oplan Bojinka never materialised because the chemicals to be used exploded prematurely, leading to the arrest of one of the plotters.
[9] Singapore JI member, Khalid Jaffar, told of plans to attack US interests in Singapore and included surveillance of the Yishun Mass Rapid Transport station, frequented by US military personnel. After viewing the video, al Qaeda leaders instructed JI to procure explosives and recruit men for the attack. For unknown reasons, the attack never occurred.
[10] The city has two commonly-used names – Solo, the name used prior to the town becoming a court city and Surakarta, the name adopted when the court moved from Kartasura in the mid-eighteenth century.
[11] Sungkar traveled to Pakistan and the Afghan border region in the early 1990s where he met bin Laden and other senior Al Qaeda members. The author obtained a letter signed by both Sungkar and Ba'asyir saying that they can assist other Islamic leaders in Indonesia to meet bin Laden directly.
[12] According to Bafana, Sungkar initially named the organization Jamiatul Minal Muslimin (spelling variant, Jemaah Minal Mulimin), though it soon became commonly known as Jemaah Islamiyah (spelling variant, Jamaah Islamiyah). ‘Surat Pernyataan: Faiz bin Abu Bakar Bafana,‘ p. 3.
[13] Washington Diplomat, 1 August 2000.
[14] Nasir Abas was head of Mantiqi 3, one of JI's strategic area divisions, which covered the geographical region of the Philippines and Sulawesi. He was responsible for military training and arms supplies. In interviews in 2005 Nasir Abas said that Poso had the potential to develop into a qoidah aminah, a secure area where residents can live by Islamic principles and law. In their view, such a base could then serve as the building block of an Islamic state and a focus for religious outreach and recruitment.
[15] Interview with Farihin bin Ahmad in Jakarta, 2005.
[16] Inquirer News Service, 8 July 2003.
[17] Interview with Ahmad Rofiq Ridho in Jakarta prison, 2005
[18] Jakarta Post, 2 May 2006.
[19] Interview with Ali Imron in Jakarta prison, 2005.
[20] Interview with Ali Imron in Jakarta prison, 2005.
[21] Interview with Ali Imron in Jakarta prison, 2005.
[22] Interview with Rusman Gunawan in Jakarta prison, 2005.
[23] Interview with Joni Hendrawan in Jakarta prison, 2005.
[24] Interview with Muhammad Rais in Jakarta prison, 2005.
[25] Interview with Abdur Rahim in Solo, Central Java, 2004.
[26] Interview with Farihin, 2005.
[27] Interview with Mira Agustina in Bogor, West Java, 2004.
[28] Interview with Muyazin in Solo, 2004.
[29] Jakarta Post, 8 March 8, 2006
[30] I was in that court covering the story for the Washington Post.
[31] See J Horgan, especially chapter 4 ‘Becoming a Terrorist’.
[32] Iannaccone (1994). For comparison see also Stark and Bainbridge (1985) and Robbins (1988).
[33] Interview with Ahmad Rofiq Rido in Jakarta police detention in December 2005.
[34] J Horgan, p 95.
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