[7th SERIES] “PHILIPPINES ISLAMIC STATE”

[ARTIKEL] ISLAMIC STATE’S GLOBAL EXPANSION: A RENEWED THREAT TO ASIA?

[7th  SERIES] “PHILIPPINES ISLAMIC STATE”

BY: ROHAN GUNARATNA

Global Asia Vol. 14, No. 3, September 2019

The groups in the philippines are also exploiting indonesians as suicide attackers. The indonesian is media outlet ash-shaf media on january 29 released on the telegram app two propaganda posters by the east asia wilayat that focused on the philippines following the bombing of the cathedral of our lady of mount carmel. The first poster entitled, “philippines islamic state,” stated that the “country of islam in the philippines remains, and we will fight anyone who attacks islam, and the next few days we will start a war, enemies inshaallah”.

The second poster entitled, “the fighting has just begun,” depicts a daesh fighter who is about to behead president duterte. Is philippines also has created a women’s wing. It consists mostly of the wives of is and asg leaders and members. They engage in financial transactions, procurement, transportation of firearms and explosives, facilitation of recruitment and travel of foreign fighters to the philippines. The philippines should take preventive and pre-emptive measures to contain, isolate and eliminate is from taking root on philippine soil.

The governments in the region and beyond should work with the philippines to dismantle the is nucleus in the country and keep it from expanding and threatening the region and beyond. Unless is in mindanao is contained, isolated and eliminated, the threat will only spread. The 12,000 troops that fought in marawi and other forces have the mindset to take on these is-centric groups. The is entities are far more dangerous than traditional muslim separatists, because is wants to create an islamic state rather than an ethno-nationalist entity.

The threat in indonesia, the largest muslimmajority country in the world, spread with the declaration of a caliphate by is in june 2014. On jan. 14, 2016, the is affiliate in indonesia, jamaat ansharut dawlah, attacked multiple targets near the sarinah shopping mall in central jakarta. This included suicide attackers and gunmen directed by aman abdur rahman, the is leader. Eight people — four attackers and four civilians (three indonesians and an algerian-canadian) — were killed, and 23 others injured. Indonesian is inmates and detainees besieged a prison near jakarta in may 2018.

The three-day standoff between police and inmates occurred at the police’s mobile brigade corps headquarters in depok, west java. Five police officers lost their lives, with one inmate killed after being shot by the police. Four policemen were also injured in the incident. Another policeman was stabbed to death at the headquarters of the elite mobile brigade police. On may 13, 2018, three churches were attacked in surabaya, the second largest city in indonesia, by a family of suicide bombers linked to is. Indonesians were shocked by the idea of children being used in the attack.

A total of 691 indonesians and their family members travelled to iraq and Syria. About 900 terrorists were arrested in indonesia during the same period. The partnership between Southeast Asian military and police forces and the US has largely helped keep the region safe from attacks. In indonesia, the Special Forces unit, Densus 88, has managed the threat of terrorism effectively.

The challenge has been the failure of the government to manage the threat of radicalization and several political parties that work with islamist groups, including extremists and terrorist groups. Indonesian society is experiencing growing radicalization, intolerance and the erosion of support for the inclusive national ideology (Pancasila) as a national survey has affirmed growing support for violence and the establishment of an Islamic State, including among government officials and youth, the next generation of indonesians.