Duta Saudi Jadi Pengkalan Salafi Tawan Indonesia

This is adapted from The Guardian newspaper here

Thursday 16th April, 2020

Indonesia world’s largest Muslim-majority country long considered tolerant 
thanks to Saudi money, influence, it has taken sharply conservative turn

Front Pembela Islam led by Rizieq Shihab

“We came to to enforce the law” said Rizieq Shihab

Front Pembela Islam's political Islam in Indonesia

Rizieq Shihab lives in Saudi Arabia
he became embroiled in sexting scandal
when arrest warrant issued, he fled to Mecca

Rizieq studied at Islamic Arabic College of Indonesia, or Lipia in Jakarta 
built, funded, fully subsidised to this day by Saudi Arabia

Indonesia prime recipient of full spectrum of Saudi Salafi proselytisation 
effects continue to reverberate

Saudi investment in Indonesia has fuelled jihadists, leading Islamist party 
Saudi soft-power apparatus in Indonesia unrivalled, including Lipia

A large Saudi embassy, a powerful, standalone “religious attache”
Saudi paid for thousands of poor students to go to school and university

influence of Front Pembela Islam just one example of how Saudi shaped Indon

Another is Bali bombings of 2002, which killed 202 tourists
world’s most deadly terror attack after 9/11
which woke Indonesia up to terrorism within its borders

attacks planned by al-Qaida jihadists at al-Mukmin Islamic school in Java
founded with endowment from Saudi king in 1972

pervasive legacy of Saudi Salafism in Indon is rise of virulent religious intolerance
commonplace harassment of Christians, “anti-Shia” and Ahmadiyya 
driven them from their homes into refugee camps

in 2011 Obama remarked “more fundamentalist, unforgiving interpretation” Islam 
He attributed this to Saudi influence
Obama picked up on concept of Arabisasi 

Arabisasi meaning “Arabisation”

• whole class of developments in Indonesia
• rise of political Islam
• blasphemy prosecutions
• growing popularity of hijabs and burqas
• louder mosques, persecution of religious minorities
• five decades of Saudi influence in Indonesia responsible for all these 

“Saudi money” in Indonesia and the world
even home of a few hundred people who joined ISIS
Saudi's global export of Wahhabism - an intolerant movement founded 
been discussed frequently in post-9/11 world

• Saudis spreads Wahhabism
• Saudi actors include universities, Islamic Affairs ministry
• global charities such as Muslim World League
• and independent businessmen

Today there is official Saudi dawa in 24 countries

unofficial Saudi activity in many more

Saudi typically end up promoting Wahhabism / Salafism

Saudi tend to cultivate Salafi scholars and ideologues 

who then shape their local religious landscapes

violent intolerance of Shia, Sufis, minority sects Ahmadiyya and Christians

most notorious spread of Salafi-jihadism

found a base in some communities supported by Saudi 

Saudi effort to systematically shape Muslim world in its image

Its ambition and global reach unparalleled

It is chaotic and full of contradictions

Saudi support and counter Muslim Brotherhood 

fund shady charities and counter-extremism centres 

that work within miles of each other

Saudi caused conservative turn in Indonesia

Saudi contributed to it in all sorts of ways

• from Aceh to Sulawesi, Saudi's scale and precision targeted at regional leaders
• characteristic Saudi combining aid and proselytization
• line between the two was always blurred

Saudi King Faisal first visited Indonesia in 1967

Faisal's foreign policy of al-tadamon al-Islami or “Islamic solidarity”

He funded / created Dewan Dakwah Islamiyah Indonesia (DDII)

which became chief conduit for Saudi money into Indonesia

DDII won open-ended recommendation to accept donations from any Saudi source

another important Saudi influence in Indon is staffed entirely by Saudis

Lipia university in South Jakarta

Lipia most visible outpost of Saudi dawa in Indonesia

one of Saudi's greatest accomplishments 

Lipia university completely administered by Saudis

to this day overseen by Saudi embassy

university’s website entices applicants today with free tuition

monthly allowance and opportunities to pursue degrees in Saudi Arabia

barely any Indonesian language on campus, even on signs

books of Wahhabism key part of Lipia’s curriculum

1990s, Lipia became hotbed of Muslim Brotherhood

Lipia became prime recruiting spot for Prosperous Justice party (PKS)

PKS modelled on Muslim Brotherhood 

Indonesia’s most successful Islamist political party

Some of Lipia’s most influential alumni are members of PKS

Lipia is microcosm of multifaceted Saudi Salafi project

Salafism has thrived in Batam
just across the bay from Singapore
last 10 years become home to prominent Salafi radio station - Hang Radio 
and multiple Salafi boarding schools
Pesantren in Batam’s main Salafi neighbourhood of Cendana 

Hang Radio broadcasts 20 straight hours of religious content every day
2016 there were 418 passport applications from residents suspected of Isis
Hang Radio cited by local authorities as factor behind the convicts

Today Philippines is major target of Saudi Salafism 
according to Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawa and Guidance

Indonesian politician Prabowo Subianto funded DDII throughout 2000s
Saudi influence survives

Saudi Salafism retains great power in religious and non-religious spheres
ambassador  Esam Althagafi says Indonesia is a member of Saudi Vision 2030

ambassador admitted Saudi proselytization at the heart of relationship
religion remains a priority, Althagafi said

My comments :

Mereka sesat.
Kesesatan mereka sangat nyata.
ISIS adalah pengikut mereka.
ISIS adalah pembunuh dan penjenayah yang diburu Polis serata dunia.
Jadi sesiapa ikut mereka akan turut sesat.
Itu saja.