Solahudin
VISITOR’S VOICE
Interview with Solahudin »
Executive Director Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC)
What are your favorite things?
Hiking in the mountains
I find hiking one of the best ways to produce endorphin hormones and to be with nature. It makes me more relaxed and happier.
Drinking coffee
Coffee has helped me relax during critical writing times. For me, it’s like a friend that accompanies me in fighting the writing block phase.
Watching stand-up comedy
This is how I spend my time with a good laugh after a tough day.
Interview
Understanding ISIS Genealogy in Indonesia
01
Please tell us about your research.
My research is about the genealogy of ISIS in Indonesia. ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) is the deadliest international terrorist organization today. When ISIS declared itself an Islamic State in Syria, thousands of people in Indonesia made mass pledges to support it. From 2014-2016, it is estimated that nearly two thousand Indonesians tried to join the terrorist organization in Syria and Iraq. In addition, ISIS supporters in Indonesia carried out more than 50 terror attacks in Indonesia from 2016 to 2022. Therefore, the question raised is, why is ISIS relatively firmly rooted in Indonesia?
ISIS ideology came to Indonesia long before ISIS existed. The official ISIS ideology is tauhid wal jihad teaching. This ideology was brought by a cleric and spread in Indonesia in the early 2000s. It became increasingly popular after it was combined with Islamic eschatology. Together with the popularity of end-of-time beliefs, it helped pave the way for ISIS and will continue to affect the post-ISIS extremist landscape.
This research traces the development of the ideology and tauhid wal jihad groups in Indonesia. How did this ideology transmit to Indonesia? How is this group developing? Who are the important figures of this group? What is the dynamic of the relationship between this group and other terrorist groups in Indonesia? What new things did this group bring that changed the landscape of terrorism in Indonesia? What will happen to ISIS support groups in Indonesia after ISIS collapses in Syria and Iraq? These questions are some of the questions that this research will answer.
02
Can you share with us an episode about any influential people, things, and places you have encountered whilst doing your research?
One of the most interesting parts of this research is interviewing extremists whose answers are often very surprising. For example, I once interviewed ISIS deportees, or ISIS supporters who attempted to move to Syria but were arrested in Turkey and deported back to Indonesia. I was amazed to find that they brought their families and sold all their possessions to emigrate to Syria, even though Syria was experiencing the deadliest conflict in the world. It is estimated that by 2022, approximately 206,887 civilians had been killed since the armed conflict began in the country and from a population of 12 million, approximately 5.4 million people were living as refugees in neighboring countries. I asked why they were willing to leave Indonesia, which was a relatively peaceful country, and move to such a conflict area? One deportee replied, “We want to migrate to Syria because we want to join the Messiah.” In Islamic eschatology, it is believed that at the end of time, the Messiah will appear in Syria and every Muslim has an obligation to be with him. Meeting with extremists, their commitment to extremist ideology and its expression in actions that are beyond common sense never failed surprised me.
Studying the ideology of extremists is one of the most interesting parts of studying terrorism. This is because terrorist action is often an expression of belief in an ideology. By understanding the ideology of extremists, we can then understand the motives of their actions. The most recent example of such action is the Bandung suicide bombing of December 2022. The perpetrator was a former terrorist inmate who failed to build a family and faced various economic difficulties after being released. He chose to blow himself up at the police station because he believed that this action could free him from life’s difficulties and take him to heaven, where he would be able to marry angels (the extremist ideology asserts that anyone who carries out acts of terror against their enemies will be rewarded in heaven and marry 72 angels).
03
How do you overcome the difficulties in putting together the results of your research into a research paper or book?
For me, the most difficult thing when writing a book is choosing the information to write about. Often the abundant and detailed data from the results of field research makes us want to write down all the data and details. Often, we forget that we are writing a book for an audience that has no need for detailed information. When writing, I should always remember that I am writing not for myself but for the readers. So when I write, I always ask: Is this information important for the reader? I remember the message from a senior writer who said: “kill your darling,” meaning, just delete the details we love so much when they are not relevant to the reader. That’s the hardest part.
04
Do you have any essential reads (books) that you can recommend to younger people?
After the 9/11 incident there was a boom in terrorism studies. Although many books were published, it is quite difficult to choose one that is truly useful. But for young researchers who are interested in researching the issue of terrorism, there are two books I can recommend. First, What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Enemy, Containing the Threat by Louise Richardson. Second, Explaining Terrorism: Causes, Processes, and Consequences by Martha Crenshaw. These two books provide comprehensive explanations regarding terrorism and the two authors are pioneer scholars in the study of terrorism.
05
What is your ideal image of a researcher, and do you have any advice for those who aim to become researchers?
Based on my experience, there are three things that a researcher studying conflict and terrorism needs to continuously work on. The first is to improve research skills. I personally learned investigative reporting skills, which really helped a lot in field research. Second is emotional regulation. We need to train ourselves to cope with various emotions, such as fear, laziness, and others. This is the hardest part. Third, training the mind to remain open and ready to accept the results of field research, which often do not support our initial thesis.
06
What are your future ambitions as a scholar?
This research will become the basis for the second volume of The Roots of Terrorism in Indonesia. Volume 1 charted the origins of Indonesian terrorism in the Darul Islam movement and how the fall of Soeharto and the rise of the Reformation produced the context for the 2002 Bali bombing. The second volume will cover from 2002 to the present. In the future I plan to write a third volume, hoping that the trilogy can become a reference for anyone who wants to study terrorism in Indonesia.
(July 2023)
Solahudin is a Visiting Research Scholar of CSEAS
from July – December 2023
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