History
Laskar Jihad was founded in 2000 by Thalib, an Indonesian who had been trained in Pakistani madrasahs and who had fought together with the Islamic mujahid movement, mujahadeen in Afghanistan.Dan G. Cox/John Falconer/Brian Stackhouse (2009), ''Terrorism, instability, and democracy in Asia and Africa''. Hanover, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, p. 94 The primary cause for the creation of Laskar Jihad was the outbreak of sectarian violence in the Indonesian provinces of Maluku (province), Maluku and North Maluku where clashes between Muslims and Christians erupted in 1999. Soon after its creation, Laskar Jihad opened recruitment centers in various parts of Indonesia. Muslims joining the militia came from Java, Sumatra, South Sulawesi and Kalimantan. Many of them were unemployed, while some were university students.Badrus Sholeh (2006), ''Jihad in Maluku'', in: Andrew T.H. Tan (ed.), ''A Handbook of Terrorism and Insurgency in Southeast Asia''. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 152–154 Laskar Jihad arrived in Ambon Island, Ambon in May 2000 and then in other of the Maluku Islands (also known as the Moluccas) where the Islamist militia joined Maluku Muslims in the fighting with Christian groups, thereby exacerbating the ongoing violence. The intervention of Laskar Jihad soon gave Muslims the upper hand in the conflict, with the Islamists burning down churches and houses of the indigenous Melanesian communities in Ambon and other Moluccan islands. In the following two years, an estimated 9,000 people were killedKirsten E. Schulze (2002), ''Laskar Jihad and the Conflict in Ambon'', in: Brown Journal of World Affairs, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 57 and hundreds of thousands had to flee their towns. Forced conversions and forced circumcisions of Christians took place in Maluku, while, according to witness accounts, present duty military and police personnel did not interfere.USCIRF (2001),Ideology
Laskar Jihad leader Jafar Umar Thalib has voiced public support for the establishment of an Islamic theocracy in Indonesia. Members of his group have called for the introduction of the Sharia. They also resented the 2001 appointment of Megawati Sukarnoputri as President of Indonesia, stating that the appointment of a female president was a sin.Hasan (2006), ''Laskar Jihad'', p. 204 In Laskar Jihad camps, women are required to wear burqas, and television is banned. Thalib has met with Osama bin Laden,Zachary Abuza (2005), ''Al Qaeda Comes to Southeast Easia'', in: Paul J. Smith (ed.), ''Terrorism and Violence in Southeast Asia: Transnational Challenges to States and Regional Stability''. Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe, pp. 55f. but allegedly turned down offers of funding support because of doubts about bin Laden's piety. However, other members of his militia have accepted al-Qaeda support. Thalib, when asked by Jessica Stern whether he promotes Wahhabism in Indonesia, tried to distance himself from Wahhabism, stating that its literature would rely too heavily on weak hadith "that may not be the word of Allah". However, scholars have noted that fatwas issued by Salafi muftis from the Arab Peninsula played a significant role in the formation of Laskar Jihad. It has also been argued that Thalib's efforts to distance himself from al-Qaeda and anything related to it were made in the context of the September 11 terror attacks when the Indonesian government exerted strong pressure on Laskar Jihad not to exploit anti-American sentiment. For its violent campaign in Maluku, Laskar Jihad put forward two reasons: first, the defence of fellow Muslims;Hasan (2006), ''Laskar Jihad'', p. 118 and second, the fight against separatism. To justify the latter cause, Laskar Jihad even alleged a Zionism, Zionist-Christian conspiracy trying to undermine the national unity of Indonesia.Noorhaidi Hasan (2002), ''Faith and Politics: The Rise of the Laskar Jihad in the Era of Transition in Indonesia'', in: Indonesia, vol. 73, pp. 145–170References
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