Islamic Defenders Front
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) , formation = , dissolved = , ()
() , successor = Islamic Brotherhood Front (Unrecognized) , status = Banned , founder =
Muhammad Rizieq Shihab Muhammad Rizieq bin Hussein Shihab ( ar-at, مُحَمَّد رِزْق شِهَاب, Muḥammad Rizq Šihāb, ; most commonly known as Habib Rizieq; born 24 August 1965) is an Indonesian Islamist cleric, the founder and leader of the Islamist ...
, founding_location =
Ciputat Ciputat is a district in the city of South Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia and is inside the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area. It covers an area of 18.38 km2 and its population at the 2020 Census was 208,722. Ciputat Timur ("East Ciputat") is a se ...
,
South Tangerang South Tangerang is a city in the province of Banten, Indonesia. Located on the southwestern border of Jakarta, the city forms part of the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area. It was administratively separated from Tangerang Regency on November 2 ...
,
Banten Banten ( id, Banten; Sundanese: , romanized ''Banten'') is the westernmost province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capital Region of Jakarta on the east, the Ja ...
, type = Mass organization , purpose = Politic, social, economic and culture , headquarters =
Petamburan, Tanah Abang Petamburan is an administrative village in the Tanah Abang district of Indonesia. It has postal code of 10260. The area is 0.90 km2. The population is 32,946 as of 2019. There are 16,900 males and 16,046 females. Origin There are two the ...
, Jakarta , coordinates = , region_served = Indonesia () , membership_year = 2014 , language =
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
,
Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...
, leader_title = Grand Imam , leader_name =
Muhammad Rizieq Shihab Muhammad Rizieq bin Hussein Shihab ( ar-at, مُحَمَّد رِزْق شِهَاب, Muḥammad Rizq Šihāb, ; most commonly known as Habib Rizieq; born 24 August 1965) is an Indonesian Islamist cleric, the founder and leader of the Islamist ...
, leader_title2 = Chairman , leader_name2 = Ahmad Shabri Lubis , leader_title3 = Secretary-general , leader_name3 = Munarman The Islamic Defenders Front ( id, Front Pembela Islam; ) was an Indonesian
hardline In politics, hardline (or hard-line) is an adjective describing a stance on an issue that is inflexible and not subject to compromise. A hardliner is a person holding such views. The stance is usually far from the centrist view. People, policies, ...
Islamist organization founded in 1998 by
Muhammad Rizieq Shihab Muhammad Rizieq bin Hussein Shihab ( ar-at, مُحَمَّد رِزْق شِهَاب, Muḥammad Rizq Šihāb, ; most commonly known as Habib Rizieq; born 24 August 1965) is an Indonesian Islamist cleric, the founder and leader of the Islamist ...
with backing from military and political figures. Since 2015, Ahmad Shabri Lubis has been the organization's leader, while Rizieq Shihab holds the title of ''Grand Imam'' (Indonesian: ''Imam Besar'') of the FPI for life. The FPI originally positioned itself as an Islamic religious police, mostly by conducting illegal and unauthorized
vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...
operations. It also acted as an Islamist pressure group with prominent social media activism and mass mobilizations against pro-government activists,
ethnic Chinese The Chinese people or simply Chinese, are people or ethnic groups identified with China, usually through ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, or other affiliation. Chinese people are known as Zhongguoren () or as Huaren () by speakers of s ...
, Christian minority, as well as
liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...
and reformist politicians. The organization staged a number of religious and political mass protests, including the
November 2016 Jakarta protests November 2016 Jakarta protests (also called Protests defending the Quran or 4 November peace protests) refer to an Islamist mass protest which took place on 4 November 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was attended by an estimated 50,000–200,000 pr ...
and other rallies against the then- Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama. The FPI also rallied outside the American Embassy in Jakarta in 2003 in order to condemn the
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق ( Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict and the War on terror , image ...
. The protesters were accused of committing hate crimes in the name of Islam and religious-related violence. On 30 December 2020, the Indonesian government issued a joint ministerial decree in which it banned the FPI. The government said that the FPI had threatened Indonesia's national ideology, committed illegal raids and atrocities including
terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
, and its organizational permit had expired. The government also showed footage of Rizieq Shihab pledging the FPI's allegiance to the
Islamic State An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
(ISIL/ISIS) and advocating the establishment of a
caliphate A caliphate or khilāfah ( ar, خِلَافَة, ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with the title of caliph (; ar, خَلِيفَة , ), a person considered a political-religious successor to th ...
. The disbandment came a few weeks after six FPI members were shot dead by police.


History

FPI emerged on 17 August 1998 as an outcome of the meeting by religious leaders to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of
Indonesian independence The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence ( id, Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 on Friday, 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of th ...
. The gathering took place at the '' pesantren'' (Islamic boarding school) of al-Umm in
Ciputat Ciputat is a district in the city of South Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia and is inside the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area. It covers an area of 18.38 km2 and its population at the 2020 Census was 208,722. Ciputat Timur ("East Ciputat") is a se ...
,
South Tangerang South Tangerang is a city in the province of Banten, Indonesia. Located on the southwestern border of Jakarta, the city forms part of the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area. It was administratively separated from Tangerang Regency on November 2 ...
.Jahroni, 2004: 213 It was hosted by Misbahul Anam, an activist of the Indonesian Islam Boyscouts (PII), and attended by religious leaders affiliated with '' haba'ib'' (scholars from the descendants of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد;  570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...
), notably
Muhammad Rizieq Shihab Muhammad Rizieq bin Hussein Shihab ( ar-at, مُحَمَّد رِزْق شِهَاب, Muḥammad Rizq Šihāb, ; most commonly known as Habib Rizieq; born 24 August 1965) is an Indonesian Islamist cleric, the founder and leader of the Islamist ...
. The meeting discussed urgent issues faced by the Muslim community, namely the proliferation of ''maksiat'' (immorality), killings of Muslims in places such as
Tanjung Priok Tanjung Priok is a district of North Jakarta, Indonesia. It hosts the western part of the city's main harbor, the Port of Tanjung Priok (located in Tanjung Priok District and Koja District). The district of Tanjung Priok is bounded by Laksaman ...
and Aceh, and the lack of Muslim organizations that can impose the Islamic doctrine of ''amr ma'ruf nahy munkar'' (enjoining good and forbidding wrong).Jahroni, 2004: 215 The first major FPI campaign that garnered media attention was an incident in
Ketapang Ketapang or ''Tau-pang'' in Teochew is the capital city of Ketapang Regency (''Kabupaten Ketapang''), one of the regencies of West Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. Ketapang city is located at and is a small city on t ...
, Central Jakarta in November 1998. The incident was triggered by the killing of a local Betawi Muslim teenager by Ambonese Christian, and rapidly escalated into a Muslim-Christian riot which claimed dozens of lives.Jahroni, 2004: 220Hutagalung, 2016: 456 The Betawi community called the support of FPI, which made an effort to prevent further escalation. The organization aims to implement sharia law in Indonesia. Later, it transformed itself into an Islamist pressure group which furthers its political motives by promoting what is considered as religious or racial propaganda through the Internet and occasional anti-government campaigns. However, in January 2017, several FPI official
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
accounts were suspended due to violations of Twitter rules, including spamming, incivility and making threats.


Government support

The emergence of FPI attracted strong interest among the high-rank members of the
Indonesian military , founded = as the ('People's Security Forces') , current_form = , disbanded = , branches = , headquarters = Cilangkap, Jakarta , website = , commander-in-chief = Joko Widodo , ...
. The Indonesian military, which previously suppressed
political Islam Political Islam is any interpretation of Islam as a source of political identity and action. It can refer to a wide range of individuals and/or groups who advocate the formation of state and society according to their understanding of Islamic pri ...
during the New Order era, had been approaching conservative Islamic groups since
Feisal Tanjung General Feisal Edno Tanjung (17 June 1939 – 18 February 2013), known as Feisal Tanjung, was an Indonesian Army general who was ABRI Commander (from 21 May 1993 to 12 February 1998) and also served as Coordinating Minister for Politics and Secur ...
was inaugurated as the commander in 1993, to disguise the military's continued role controlling the people in the face of criticism from the more moderate to left-wing segments of Indonesian society, including the some 3000 non-governmental organizations working there.Jahroni, 2004: 213-5 The military provided monetary aid as well as military training to the paramilitary wing of FPI known as ''Laskar Pembela Islam'' (Islamic Defenders Paramilitary, LPI). In turn, FPI occasionally mobilized action in support of the former commander
Wiranto Wiranto (born 4 April 1947) is an Indonesian politician and former army general, who is serving as the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council, since December 2019. Previously, he was the Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces from Feb ...
and several army generals.Facal, 2019: 8 FPI also received patronage from the chief of Jakarta police Nugroho Djayusman. B.J. Habibie, who eventually succeeded the presidency after Suharto, also provided funding toward several Islamic groups including FPI in anticipation of his election. Even after the transition to democracy, a number of military generals, loathe to relinquish their power after so many decades of dictatorship, continued their support of FPI, who provided a believable curtain of grassroots support for paramilitary muscle in the still-turbulent social order.


Loss of government support

FPI lost major support from the state apparatus after the inauguration of Sofyan Yacob as the chief of Jakarta police, who criticized FPI's vigilantism. FPI's headquarters in
Petamburan, Tanah Abang Petamburan is an administrative village in the Tanah Abang district of Indonesia. It has postal code of 10260. The area is 0.90 km2. The population is 32,946 as of 2019. There are 16,900 males and 16,046 females. Origin There are two the ...
was raided by police in 2002 and 13 members were arrested following FPI's attack on nightclubs and billiard halls.Jahroni, 2004: 216-7 Rizieq was also arrested in 2003 and jailed for seven months. Misbahul Anam, the former secretary-general of FPI, considered the relations with the state apparatus to be opportunistic. However, Sutanto, the chief of the
national police National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries: *Afghanistan: Afghan National Police *Haiti: Haitian National Police *Colombia: National Police of Colombia *Cuba: Cuban National Police *East Timor: National Police of ...
(2005–2008) and state intelligent agency (2009–2011), maintained the importance of utilizing FPI in certain cases. Even after 2002, FPI acted in cooperation with military and police on several occasions, including in 2010 and 2011 to shut down public debates held by
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...
and
Ahmadiyya Ahmadiyya (, ), officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community or the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ, ar, الجماعة الإسلامية الأحمدية, al-Jamāʿah al-Islāmīyah al-Aḥmadīyah; ur, , translit=Jamā'at Aḥmadiyyah Musl ...
activists.Ricklefs, 2012: 421 In November 2020, the Home Affairs Ministry said FPI had lost its legal status as a civil organization because its registration certificate had expired on 20 June 2019. The ministry said FPI therefore should not have conducted activities as a civil organization. FPI spokesman Munarman countered that organizations do not require a registration certificate for legal status, as freedom to assembly is enshrined in the Indonesian Constitution.


Political support

FPI also found political support among the politicians who belong to the Islamist, conservative, and right-wing nationalist political parties.
Hamzah Haz Hamzah Haz (born 15 February 1940) is an Indonesian politician who served as vice president of Indonesia from 2001 until 2004, under President Megawati Sukarnoputri. He previously held the positions of Minister of Investment and Coordinating M ...
of the
United Development Party The United Development Party ( id, Partai Persatuan Pembangunan, sometimes translated as Development Unity Party; abbreviated PPP) is an Islam-basedAl-Hamdi, Ridho. (2013). ''Partai politik Islam: Teori dan praktik di Indonesia''. Yogyakarta: Grah ...
and the 9th
vice president of Indonesia The vice president of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Wakil Presiden Republik Indonesia) is second-highest officer in the executive branch of the Indonesian government, after the president, and ranks first in the presidential line of succ ...
(2001–2004) occasionally visited FPI meetings during his terms. FPI provided grassroots support for Wiranto during the 2004 and 2009 presidential election, as well as former army general
Prabowo Subianto Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo (born 17 October 1951) is an Indonesian politician, businessman and former army lieutenant general who is the currently-appointed Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia. He is the son of Sumitro Djojoh ...
during the
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and 2019 presidential election. FPI's notable political allies include the
Prosperous Justice Party The Prosperous Justice Party ( id, Partai Keadilan Sejahtera, sometimes called the Justice and Prosperity Party), frequently abbreviated to PKS, is an IslamistAl-Hamdi, Ridho. (2017). ''Moving towards a Normalised Path: Political Islam in Contempo ...
(PKS) and the
National Mandate Party The National Mandate Party ( id, Partai Amanat Nasional), frequently abbreviated to PAN, is an Islam-basedAl-Hamdi, Ridho. (2017). ''Moving towards a Normalised Path: Political Islam in Contemporary Indonesia''. JURNAL STUDI PEMERINTAHAN (JOURNAL ...
(PAN), both being conservative Islamic parties, as well as the recently disbanded Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI). It also allegedly maintain close relations to the family of former president Suharto, most notably
Tommy Suharto Hutomo Mandala Putra (born 15 July 1962), commonly known as Tommy Suharto, is an Indonesian businessman, politician, and convicted murderer. The youngest son of Suharto, the second President of Indonesia, he has long had a reputation for nepoti ...
as evidenced by their meeting in 2017 during the commemoration of
Supersemar The Order of Eleventh March ( id, Surat Perintah Sebelas Maret), commonly referred to by its syllabic abbreviation ''Supersemar'', was a document signed by the Indonesian President Sukarno on 11 March 1966, giving army commander Lt. Gen. Suhar ...
.


December 2020 shootings

Early on 7 December 2020, police shot dead six members of FPI in two different circumstances. Two were killed in a shootout on Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road and four were later shot while in police custody. Police said the six were among 10 FPI members who had crashed into a police car and attacked officers at the kilometer 50 point of the toll road. FPI said the six were Rizieq's personal bodyguards and had been abducted by thugs. Amnesty International Indonesia said "police must be open and transparent about the incident and what led to the use of firearms against the supporters of FPI leader Muhammad Rizieq Shihab. The incident should be independently investigated and if the police officers violated international standards regarding the use of force and firearms, they should be brought to justices." The six victims of the shooting were identified as: *Andi Oktiawan (33 years old) *Ahmad Sofiyana (26) *Lutfi Hakim (25) *Faiz Ahmad Syukur (22) *Muhammad Suci Khadavi (21) *Muhammad Reza (20) Responding to the killings, President Joko Widodo said the police "are protected by law" in doing their work and warned that citizens should not break the law or harm the country. FPI Secretary General Munarman criticized the president's response as justification of deadly human rights abuse. On 8 January 2021, the
National Commission on Human Rights The National Commission on Human Rights ( id, Komisi Nasional Hak Asasi Manusia, usually abbreviated as Komnas HAM) is the national human rights institution (NHRI) of Indonesia. As with other NHRIs, its principal functions are the protection and pr ...
(Komnas HAM) announced the preliminary results of its investigation into the killings. Komnas HAM said two of the FPI members were killed in a shootout with police, and the four others were later killed in police custody. It described the killings as a human rights violation and called for the prosecution of the perpetrators. On 3 March 2021, police said the six slain FPI members would be charged posthumously with assault of police officers. Police later said three personnel from Jakarta Police were being investigated over allegations they had acted unlawfully during the incident. On 25 March 2021, police said one of three officers incriminated in the killings had since died in an accident. On 18 March 2022, South Jakarta District Court found the two surviving police officers guilty of the unlawful killing of four FPI members, but ruled they could not be punished because the shootings were "justified" as the officers had acted in self-defense.


Disbandment

The
Indonesian government The term Government of Indonesia ( id, Pemerintah Indonesia) can have a number of different meanings. At its widest, it can refer collectively to the three traditional branches of government – the executive branch, legislative branch and ju ...
on 30 December 2020 disbanded FPI for engaging in terrorist and criminal acts and disturbing public order. The disbandment was announced by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs
Mahfud MD Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin (born 13 May 1957), commonly known as Mahfud MD, is an Indonesian politician and lawyer, who is currently serving as the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of Indonesia. He is the first civ ...
. He said the ban was signed by six ministerial-level state officials: the Home Affairs Minister, Communications and Information Minister, Justice and Human Rights Minister, National Counterterrorism Agency chief, National Police chief, and the Attorney General. The announcement was also attended by the National Armed Forces Commander, the Presidential Chief of Staff, and other senior government officials. The Indonesian National Police said 199 FPI members were involved in 94 criminal cases, and 35 members of FPI have alleged links to terrorist groups. The ban categorized FPI as a "forbidden organization", giving law enforcement officials the right to disperse its organizational activities or gatherings. The ban came after police earlier in December 2020 shot dead six FPI members. FPI initially said it would appeal the disbandment but later decided to not appeal, saying "the
decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used ...
is the refuse of the civilization, and the refuse is better put on the septic tank."


Reincarnations

Subsequently after FPI dissolved by the Indonesian government, several reincarnations were declared, all of them are under the abbreviation "FPI", same as their predecessors. After the disbandment, former FPI secretary general Munarman and other senior FPI figures announced that FPI would be replaced by ''Front Persatuan Islam'' (English: Islamic Unity Front). They vowed to continue to fight against the government, which they described as a "tyrannical regime" and said "its decisions carry little to no merit". Munarman said the "''Front Persatuan Islam"'' name must be adopted by all FPI members, administrators and sympathizers, rather than using the name ''Front Pembela Islam''. The Islamic Unity Front declared it would never register with the government.
Demak Demak is on the north coast of Central Java province, on the island of Java, Indonesia. * Demak, Demak, modern-day large town * Demak Sultanate, sixteenth century sultanate * Demak Regency Demak ( jv, ꦢꦼꦩꦏ꧀) is a regency located in t ...
branch of FPI and the
East Kalimantan East Kalimantan ( Indonesian: ) is a province of Indonesia. Its territory comprises the eastern portion of Borneo. It had a population of about 3.03 million at the 2010 census (within the current boundary), 3.42 million at the 2015 census, and 3 ...
branch of FPI declared their willingness to be part of the renamed organization. The Indonesian National Police threatens to dissolve the new FPI. The Islamic Unity Front then changed its name to the Islamic Brotherhood Front (''Front Persaudaraan Islam'').


Islamic Brotherhood Front

On 17 August 2021, in conjunction with the
Indonesian Independence Day The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence ( id, Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Indonesia, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 on Friday, 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of t ...
, the Islamic Brotherhood Front has launched its new logo. On 5 September, a group of unmasked people declared the foundation of the West Java branch of Islamic Brotherhood Front, at Daarul Khoirot Mosque,
West Bandung Regency West Bandung Regency (''Kabupaten Bandung Barat'') is a landlocked regency of West Java. It was established in 2007, formerly it was part of Bandung Regency. The capital of this new regency is Ngamprah, an industrial district on the west side of ...
. Head of the West Bandung branch of Nation and Political Unity Body (Kesbangpol), Suryaman stated that they have minimally detected the foundation of the new FPI. The head of Centre of Youth and Population Research (CYPR), Dedek Prayudi reacts to the declaration of Islamic Brotherhood Front: "One should see first the AD/ART of Islamic Brotherhood Front. If it is still eleven-twelve with FPI, (this organization) should be dissolved". As a response, the regent of West Bandung, Hengky Kurniawan, declares that he together with the
Municipal Police Municipal police, city police, or local police are law enforcement agencies that are under the control of local government. This includes the municipal government, where it is the smallest administrative subdivision. They receive funding ...
will rebuke the declaration as it outlaws health protocols. On 7 September, the former
Banten Banten ( id, Banten; Sundanese: , romanized ''Banten'') is the westernmost province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capital Region of Jakarta on the east, the Ja ...
province branch leader (''imam'') of the "old" FPI, Ahmad Qurthubi Jaelani was chosen as the new chairman of the Islamic Brotherhood Front through consensus by branch leaders and advisors. Officially according to the vice chairman of Islamic Brotherhood Front, Syahid Joban said that the new FPI is different from the old FPI; with the new FPI more focused on human rights and education. As of September 2021, Rizieq Shihab and Munarman currently do not appear in positions of the new FPI, but the advocate team of FPI, Aziz Yanuar said that both will placed in honorable position. Instead of becoming hostile as its predecessors, the Islamic Brotherhood Front tends to peaceful with other organizations, especially with the
Nahdlatul Ulama Nahdlatul Ulama (, , NU) is an Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership estimates range from 40 million (2013) to over 95 million (2021), making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU also is a charitable body funding sch ...
's militia body
Banser Multipurpose Ansor Front, better known as Banser (abbreviation of ''Barisan Ansor Serbaguna''), is an Islamic militia organization based in Indonesia. It is a paramilitary wing of the youth organization Ansor Youth Movement (GP Ansor) affiliate ...
working together to help victims of
2021 Semeru eruption An eruption of Mount Semeru, a volcano in the East Java province of the Indonesian island of Java, began on 4 December 2021. The eruption began after heavy precipitation caused the collapse of the lava dome at the summit. Pyroclastic flows and ...
. The son-in-law of
Muhammad Rizieq Shihab Muhammad Rizieq bin Hussein Shihab ( ar-at, مُحَمَّد رِزْق شِهَاب, Muḥammad Rizq Šihāb, ; most commonly known as Habib Rizieq; born 24 August 1965) is an Indonesian Islamist cleric, the founder and leader of the Islamist ...
, Habib Muhammad bin Husein Alatas was elected as the chairman of the Islamic Brotherhood Front, via the first national conference held by the new FPI at
Lebak Regency Lebak Regency is a regency of Banten province, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Java. The regency has an area of 3,305.072 km2 and had a population of 1,204,095 at the 2010 census and 1,386,793 at the 2020 census; the official estima ...
,
Banten Banten ( id, Banten; Sundanese: , romanized ''Banten'') is the westernmost province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capital Region of Jakarta on the east, the Ja ...
from 16 to 17 March 2022.


Others

The
Ciamis Ciamis ( su, ᮎᮤᮃᮙᮤᮞ᮪) is a town and district which serves as the regency seat of Ciamis Regency in West Java, Indonesia. Government GOVERNMENT Since regional autonomy was implemented in 2001, Ciamis Regency has experienced regional ...
branch of FPI declared via
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
it renamed the group as ''Front Pejuang Islam'' (Islamic Fighters Front). The Ciamis branch also declared it was adopting the new name of ''Front Perjuangan Islam'' (Islamic Struggle Front). Wawan Malik Marwan, founder of both the Islamic Fighters Front and Islamic Struggle Front said if the organizations were banned, he would form an organization named ''Front Pencinta Islam'' (Islam Lovers Front).


Alleged involvement in 2021 Makassar cathedral bombing

Ex-members of the organizations are allegedly involved in the bombing of a cathedral in Makassar. Some attributes of Islamic Defenders Front were found in house of suspected terrorist. Nearly one month after the bombing, on 27 April 2021, former Islamic Defenders Front General Secretary and Muhammad Rizieq Shihab's close confidante, Munarman, was arrested. He was arrested because he possessed the knowledge about the terrorist network, but chose to hide it. Not only that he also involved in inciting people to commit terrorism and conspiring with terrorists against the state. He also charged by police to be involved with "
bay'ah ''Bayʿah'' ( ar, بَيْعَة, "Pledge of allegiance"), in Islamic terminology, is an oath of allegiance to a leader. It is known to have been practiced by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. ''Bayʿah'' is sometimes taken under a written pact gi ...
" of terrorists' group and their pledge of allegiance to ISIL in Makassar, Jakarta, and Medan terror networks.


Notable activities


Actions against pluralism

The FPI has been vocal against
liberalism Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...
and
multiculturalism The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for " ethnic pluralism", with the two terms often used interchang ...
, and to the extension of the Pancasila doctrine which upholds religious pluralism. On 1 June 2008, the FPI staged an attack against members of the National Alliance for the Freedom of Faith and Religion (AKKBB), who were holding a rally coinciding with the commemoration day of Pancasila near the National Monument in the city center. The attack was claimed as a response to the perceived threat by the AKKBB against the FPI. The incident was referred to by the media as the Monas incident. It caused media outrage and led to the arrest of Rizieq Shihab among 56 other FPI members. Rizieq was later imprisoned for one year and six months, after being convicted over attacks against the AKKBB. In January 2017, the police declared FPI leader Rizieq Shihab a suspect for alleged defamation of Pancasila . The FPI also often holds protests against what it sees as the spread of Christianity of Indonesia. Notable targets include GKI Yasmin of Bogor, and
HKBP The Huria Kristen Batak Protestan (''HKBP''), which translates in English as ''Batak Christian Protestant Church'', is a Lutheran church that is oriented towards Protestant among the Batak people, generally the Toba Batak in Indonesia. With ...
Church of Bekasi, where the group used violence to force the closure of the churches. The FPI also endorsed the
Singkil Singkíl (or Sayaw sa Kasingkil) is a folk dance of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao depicting one of the episodes in the epic poem ''Darangen'', which was popularised by the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company. Description ''S ...
administration for closing around 20 churches in Singkil, Aceh. This stirred up controversy over the use of the local administrative law in accordance with Sharia, running counter to the Indonesian constitution, which guarantees freedom of religious practice. In early 2017, the FPI and related Islamist groups staged a mass protest against a newly built church in
Bekasi Bekasi (, su, ) is a city in West Java, Indonesia, located on the eastern border of Jakarta.the city of planet Bekasi is his nickname.It serves as a commuter city within the Jakarta metropolitan area. According to the 2020 Census by Statistic ...
,
West Java West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
. The protest developed into a riot and scuffles with the police, resulting in property damage and five police officers being injured. Like many other Islamist and conservative political parties in Indonesia, FPI holds a negative sentiment toward ethnic Chinese people, often to the point of spreading hate speech, racist remarks and threats of lynching against them. FPI members and sympathizers regularly accused the ethnic Chinese of being "
illegal immigrants Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upwa ...
", often with false narratives claiming that the Chinese are communists and "enemies of Islam", despite a significant number of Chinese Indonesian Muslims.


Actions against Ahmadiyyah

The FPI was suspected of acting behind the scenes in the 6 February 2011 assault against the Ahmadiyyah community, in which three people were killed. The assault was led by a group of over thousand people, wielding rocks, machetes, swords, and spears. They attacked the house of an Ahmadi leader in Cikeusik,
Banten Banten ( id, Banten; Sundanese: , romanized ''Banten'') is the westernmost province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capital Region of Jakarta on the east, the Ja ...
. Similarly, a group attacked the Ahmadiyyah headquarters near Bogor and harassed its members in areas such as in East Lombok, Manislor,
Tasikmalaya en, Neaty City , nickname = nl, Delhi Van Java en, Delhi of Java , image_skyline = , imagesize = , image_caption = Clockwise from the top: Great Mosque of Tasi ...
,
Parung Parung (Sundanese:ᮕᮛᮥᮀ) is a town and district in Indonesia that is located in the southwestern suburb of South Jakarta but officially still within the area of the Regency of Bogor. Those who travel from Jakarta to Bogor through the west ...
, and
Garut Garut is a district and town in West Java of Indonesia, and the former capital of Garut Regency. It is located about 75 km to the southeast of the major city of Bandung. History The modern history of Garut started on March 2, 1811 when Balub ...
.


Actions against the perceived communist threat

The FPI, like many conservative politicians in Indonesia, often employs anti-communist rhetoric as a political motivation. In June 2010, along with other organizations, the FPI attacked a meeting about free healthcare in
East Java East Java ( id, Jawa Timur) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost hemisphere of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean bord ...
, mistaking it for a "meeting" of the banned Communist Party of Indonesia. In January 2017, the FPI called for the withdrawal of
Rupiah The rupiah (symbol: Rp; currency code: IDR) is the official currency of Indonesia. It is issued and controlled by Bank Indonesia. The name " rupiah" is derived from the Sanskrit word for silver, (). Sometimes, Indonesians also informally use ...
banknotes, and accused it of allegedly displaying the image of the banned hammer and sickle logo. The FPI's allegations, however, were rejected by
Bank Indonesia Bank Indonesia (BI) is the central bank of the Republic of Indonesia. It replaced in 1953 the Bank of Java ( nl, De Javasche Bank, DJB), which had been created in 1828 to serve the financial needs of the Dutch East Indies. History Bank of Ja ...
(BI), referring to it as a recto-verso security feature of the Bank Indonesia logo for the new Rupiah banknotes. FPI was accused of stirring public unrest by slandering Bank Indonesia and the government. FPI frequently denounced liberal and centrist political parties (such as
PDI-P The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle ( id, Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan, PDI-P) is an Indonesian political party, and the party of the current President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo. The PDI-P was founded and is currently led by Me ...
or
Golkar ) , foundation = , youth = AMPG (Golkar Party Young Force) , women = KPPG (Golkar Party Women's Corps) , newspaper = ''Suara Karya'' (1971–2016) , headquarters = Jakarta , ideology ...
), accusing them as being "pro-communist" and "Islamophobic". It is widely believed that the Islamist anti-communist rhetoric is the reason behind the showing of docudrama film '' Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI'' on some Indonesian national televisions beginning in 2017, 20 years after it was once a mandatory viewing material by the New Order government.


Anti-government campaigns

The FPI has been vocal against the Indonesian government since the presidency of
Abdurrahman Wahid Abdurrahman Wahid ( ; born Abdurrahman ad-Dakhil; 7 September 1940 – 30 December 2009), though more colloquially known as Gus Dur (), was an Indonesian politician and Islamic religious leader who served as the 4th president of Indonesia, fr ...
(Gus Dur), and alongside other Islamist groups, has repeatedly carried threats of coup d'etat against the government. This campaign notably intensified under Joko Widodo's presidency, especially after Basuki Tjahaja Purnama's alleged blasphemy incident in 2016.


Actions against perceived defamation of Islamic sensitivity

The FPI is notably sensitive toward the perceived defamation and violation of Islamic norms in various aspects of society. In its early days, FPI targeted shops and vendors that are open or sells alcohol during the month of
Ramadhan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. Co ...
, most of which were reportedly forced to close down or ransacked. Various nightclubs, bars, and cafes were targeted by the FPI for perceived non-conformity with Islamic norms. In 2006, the FPI and other Islamic organizations including the
Indonesian Mujahedeen Council The Majelis Mujahideen Indonesia (MMI), or Indonesian Mujahedeen Council, is an umbrella organisation of Indonesian Islamist groups. The group was designated as foreign terrorist organization by the United States on 13 June 2017. MMI was founded b ...
protested against the publication of '' Playboy Indonesia''. The protest led to the eviction of the ''Playboy'' office from Jakarta to Bali. In 2013, the FPI accused LGBT activists, such as
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
and
Irshad Manji Irshad Manji (born 1968) is a Ugandan-born Canadian educator. She is the author of ''The Trouble with Islam Today'' (2004) and ''Allah, Liberty and Love'' (2011), both of which have been banned in several Muslim countries. She also produced a P ...
, of being "devils", and threatened their safety. This erupted in controversy in 2013 during Lady Gaga's ''Born This Way tour'', which resulted in the eventual cancellation of concerts in Indonesia. The action was criticized for being a violation of Indonesian law sanctioning violent threats, as prescribed in Article 336 of the Criminal Code. In 2015, the FPI attacked politician and
Purwakarta Purwakarta (Dutch: Poerwakarta) is a district and town in West Java, Indonesia which serves as the regency seat of the Purwakarta Regency. It had a population of 165,447 at the 2010 Census,. rising to 179,233 at the 2020 Census. History Purwaka ...
regent
Dedi Mulyadi Dedi Mulyadi (born 11 April 1971) is an Indonesian politician who was the regent of Purwakarta, holding that position between 2008 and 2018. Biography Dedi Mulyadi was born in Sukasari, Subang on 11 April 1971 as the youngest of nine siblings. ...
, accusing him of being a '' musyrik'' (polytheist) after he put up statues of Sundanese puppets in a number of city parks throughout Purwakarta in West Java. the FPI accused Dedi of debasing Islamic tenets by violating the aniconist principle of Islam, as well as using the
Sundanese Sundanese may refer to: * Sundanese people * Sundanese language * Sundanese script Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
greeting ''Sampurasun'', instead of the Muslim-approved '' Assalamualaikum''. In December 2015, around a hundred FPI members conducted a 'sweeping' operation against Mulyadi himself. Its members inspected cars passing through the front gate of
Taman Ismail Marzuki Ismail Marzuki Park, ( Indonesian: Taman Ismail Marzuki, TIM), is an arts, cultural, and science center located at Cikini in Jakarta, Indonesia. Taman Ismail Marzuki complex comprises a number of facilities including six performing arts theaters, ...
(TIM) in Central Jakarta where the Indonesia Theater Federation Awards ceremony was being held, attempting to stop Mulyadi from attending the event.


Opposition and uprising against Basuki Tjahaja Purnama

The FPI was known for its efforts to topple the administration of former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, popularly known as ''Ahok''. The FPI criticized Basuki's background as a Christian and Chinese Indonesian, both being minorities, citing that the position of the governor of Jakarta should be reserved only for Muslims. In 2014, the FPI held a demonstration in front of the Jakarta Regional People's Representative Council building in Jakarta. The organization refused to accept Basuki as Jakarta's governor after former governor Joko Widodo was elected
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
the same year. In late 2016, during the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election season, the FPI led the national outcry against Basuki for his alleged blasphemy against the
Qur'an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , s ...
. As a response to the perceived blasphemy, the FPI organized seven protests titled 'Aksi Bela Islam', ('Action to Defend Islam') in order to create pressure against Basuki and to demand his imprisonment. The protests culminated in the
November 2016 Jakarta protests November 2016 Jakarta protests (also called Protests defending the Quran or 4 November peace protests) refer to an Islamist mass protest which took place on 4 November 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was attended by an estimated 50,000–200,000 pr ...
, December 2016 Jakarta protests and February 2017 Jakarta protests. These were held once a month until Basuki's final conviction in May 2017, when he was sentenced to two years imprisonment after losing the election to Anies Baswedan.


Mass gatherings after return of Rizieq Shihab

FPI was involved in controversial actions after Rizieq Shihab returned to Indonesia from Saudi Arabia on 10 November 2020. FPI members were among thousands of Rizieq's supporters who greeted him on arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Ignoring government regulations on
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
restrictions, FPI members attended a mass gathering at Rizieq's home in Jakarta's Petamburan neighborhood. On 13 November, FPI members gathered in large numbers with Rizieq in Megamendung, Bogor. West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil blamed Security Minister
Mahfud MD Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin (born 13 May 1957), commonly known as Mahfud MD, is an Indonesian politician and lawyer, who is currently serving as the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of Indonesia. He is the first civ ...
for allowing the mass gatherings.


Reception


General public

There have been demands by Indonesians, mainly mainstream Muslims, other religious organizations, political communities and ethnic groups, for the FPI to be disbanded or banned. Ansor Youth Movement, the youth branch of
Nahdlatul Ulama Nahdlatul Ulama (, , NU) is an Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership estimates range from 40 million (2013) to over 95 million (2021), making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU also is a charitable body funding sch ...
, the biggest Muslim organization in Indonesia, demanded the government to shut down FPI in 2008, but the government never agreed to such calls. Various critics and media outlets have described the FPI as inciting Islamic extremism, extremism, racism and bigotry, particularly noting its occasional hate crimes, discrimination against minorities and religious intolerance. An International Crisis Group report called it "an urban thug organization", emphasizing its violent vigilantism. The group has also been criticized for the use of violence; the police have recorded that the FPI engaged in 29 cases of violence and destructive behavior in 2010 and 5 cases in 2011 in West Java, Banten, Central Java, North Sumatra and South Sumatra. A survey conducted by SMRC in November 2020 shown that 43% of Indonesians view FPI favorably, while 57% view them unfavorably. Similar survey conducted in 2019 shown that FPI is viewed favorably by only 33% of Indonesians. The FPI is considered as a terrorist organization by the Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium. (TRAC)


Rejection in Kalimantan

On 11 February 2012, hundreds of protesters from the local community in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan; mainly from the Dayak people, Dayak tribe; staged a protest at Tjilik Riwut Airport to block the arrival of four senior leaders of the group, who wanted to inaugurate the provincial branch of the organization. Due to security concerns, the management of the airport ordered the FPI members to remain on board the aircraft while other passengers disembarked. The FPI members were then flown to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan. The deputy chairman of the Central Kalimantan National Dayak Customary Council, Dayak Tribe Council (DAD) later said that the organization had asked the Central Kalimantan Police to ban the group's provincial chapter as the FPI's presence would create tension, particularly as Central Kalimantan is known as a place conducive to religious harmony. A formal letter from the Central Kalimantan administration stated that they firmly rejected the FPI and would not let them establish a chapter in the province because it "contradicts the local wisdom of the Dayak tribe that upholds peace". The letter was sent to the Minister of Coordination of Political, Legal and Security Affairs with copies being sent to the president of Indonesia, the People's Consultative Assembly speaker, the Constitutional Court of Indonesia, Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, Ministry of Home Affairs (Indonesia), the Home Minister and the National Police Chief. The FPI is now banned all over the Kalimantan for its disruptive and divisive actions against local communities.


Organization

FPI broadly consists of two parts, the Consultative Assembly which aims to provide decision-making, and the Executive Board which carries out the decision provided by the Consultative Assembly. FPI's paramilitary division known as ''Laskar Pembela Islam'' (LPI), which conducts all the vigilantism, is attached to the Department of Jihad and State Defense of the Executive Board. LPI is structured in a very similar manner with an actual military; led by ''Imam Besar (Grand Imam)'', there are multiple ranks based on the number of military personnel commanded by them, from ''Imam'' (25,000 personnel), ''Wali'' (5,000 personnel), ''Qaid'' (1,000 personnel), ''Amir'' (200 personnel), to ''Rais'' (20 personnel). Each one of the LPI personnel is referred to as ''Jundi''.Jahroni, 2004: 237-241 FPI is an organization open for the public, and anybody can be a member. This allowed FPI to expand quickly since its foundation in 1998, and it can rapidly mobilize personnel during the demonstrations. FPI has its branch on a provincial level with similar organizational structures consist of advisory and executive boards. Although the networks penetrate into district and sub-district levels, they are loosely coordinated, and often there are cases of fragmentation such as FPI Surakarta branch which claims to be independent of the headquarters in Jakarta.


Organizational structure

*''Majelis Tanfidzi'' (Executive Board) **Chief Leader: Ahmad Shabri Lubis ***Department of Foreign Affairs ***Department of Home Affairs ***Department of Religious Affairs ***Department of Jihad and State Defense ****''Laskar Pembela Islam'' (Islamic Defenders Paramilitary, LPI) ***Department of Social, Political, and Legal Affairs ***Department of Education and Culture ***Department of Economy and Industry ***Department of Research and Technology ***Department of Logistics ***Department of Social Welfare ***Department of Information ***Department of Women's Affairs **Secretary-General: Munarman ***Commission of Front Experts ***Commission of Front Recruitment ***Commission of Front Investigation ***Commission of Front Legal Assistance ***Anti-''Maksiat'' Commission ***Anti-Violence Commission *''Majelis Syuro'' (Consultative Assembly) **Chief Leader: Muhsin bin Ahmad Al-Attas ***Commission of Sharia ***Commission of Honor ***Commission of Coordination ***Commission of Consultancy ***Commission of Supervision


Footnotes


References

*Facal, G. (2019). Islamic Defenders Front Militia (Front Pembela Islam) and its Impact on Growing Religious Intolerance in Indonesia. ''TRaNS: Trans –Regional and –National Studies of Southeast Asia page'', 1-22. *Hutagalung, S.A. (2016). Muslim–Christian Relations in Kupang: Negotiating Space and Maintaining Peace. '' The Asia Pacific Journal of Anthropology'', 17(5), 439–459. *Jahroni, J. (2004). Defending the Majesty of Islam: Indonesia's Front Pembela Islam (FPI) 1998–2003. ''Studia Islamika'', 11(2), 197–256. *Ricklefs, M.C. (2012). ''Islamisation and Its Opponents in Java: A Political, Social, Cultural and Religious History, c. 1930 to Present''. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.


External links

*
Front Pembela Islam's Official Website
*
FPI Online
*
FPI & LPI's History
*
Sunday, 1 June 2008 Monas provocation chronology
*
Ruanghati
{{Authority control Far-right politics in Asia Islamist groups Islamic organizations based in Indonesia Islamism in Indonesia Islamism Islamic organizations established in 1998 Religious organizations disestablished in 2020 Terrorism in Indonesia Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant activities Caliphalism Banned Islamist parties