Political Islam And Violence In Indonesia (asian Security Studies)

POLITICAL ISLAM AND VIOLENCE IN INDONESIA Since the fall of Suharto in 1998, Indonesia has made a successful transition to democracy. However, during the past few years the country has also been racked by Islamist terrorism, most notably the 2002 Bali bombings, and sectarian violence that have left thousands dead. While the two are not linked, they are the most notable trends in Indonesian political development. This book first analyses the newfound role of Islamist parties in Indonesian politics and explains how they are now shaping public policy. It then provides an in-depth analysis of the state of terrorism in Indonesia and strives to understand how Jemaah Islamiyah has reacted to the “War on Terror” and shifted its tactics and strategies to cope with the arrests and crackdowns. Also focusing on the various laskars, or militias, that are engaged in both sectarian violence and attempts to impose sharia law through vigilante actions, the author examines the degree to which these groups, overt and covert, legal and illegal, are able or willing to cooperate with one another. Finally, the book concludes with policy implications for the Indonesian government, the neighbouring ASEAN states, and the Western world. This book will be of great interest to students of Indonesian politics, Asian studies, political violence, and security studies in general. Zachary Abuza is Associate Professor of Political Science at Simmons College, Boston, and specializes in Southeast Asian politics and security issues. He is the author of Militant Islam in Southeast Asia (2003) and the forthcoming study of the insurgency in Southern Thailand, Conspiracy of Silence (2006). ASIAN SECURITY STUDIES Edited by Sumit Ganguly, Indiana University, Bloomington and Andrew Scobell, US Army War College Few regions of the world are fraught with as many security questions as Asia. Within this region it is possible to study great power rivalries, irredentist conflicts, nuclear and ballistic missile proliferation, secessionist movements, ethnoreligious conflicts and inter-state wars. This new book series will publish the best possible scholarship on the security issues affecting the region, and will include detailed empirical studies, theoretically oriented case studies and policy-relevant analyses as well as more general works. CHINA AND INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS Alternate paths to global power Marc Lanteigne CHINA’S RISING SEA POWER The PLA Navy’s submarine challenge Peter Howarth IF CHINA ATTACKS TAIWAN Military strategy, politics and economics Steve Tsang (ed.) CHINESE CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS The transformation of the People’s Liberation Army Nan Li (ed.) THE CHINESE ARMY TODAY Tradition and transformation for the 21st Century Dennis J. Blasko TAIWAN’S SECURITY History and prospects Bernard D. Cole RELIGION AND CONFLICT IN SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ASIA Disrupting violence Linell E. Cady and Sheldon W. Simon (eds) POLITICAL ISLAM AND VIOLENCE IN INDONESIA Zachary Abuza POLITICAL ISLAM AND VIOLENCE IN INDONESIA Zachary Abuza First published 2007 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa Business This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2007. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” © 2007 Zachary Abuza All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. The opinions, findings, and conclusi