JAKARTA – Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a radical extremist network with links to Al-Qaeda, has officially announced its dissolution, according to local media reports.
The decision to disband was made through a widely-circulated video lasting three minutes and 10 seconds, filmed in Bogor, West Java.
The video prominently featured Abu Rusdan, a key spokesperson, reading the dissolution declaration while surrounded by 15 other prominent leaders of the organisation.
The authenticity of the announcement, issued on June 30, was confirmed by the Jakarta-based think tank, the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict along with several terrorism experts in Indonesia.
In the video, Abu Rusdan stated that the decision was endorsed by senior members of JI’s leadership council and leaders of its affiliated educational institutions and Islamic boarding schools (pesantren).
They also announced a plan to revise educational curricula at this pesantran to remove extremist ideologies, aligning with the principles of Ahlussunnah Wal Jamaah, national laws, and societal norms.
The group expressed readiness to contribute to Indonesia’s progress and dignity.
Abu Rusdan further stated: “The matters related to the agreement will be discussed with the Densus 88 anti-terror unit of the Indonesian national police headquarters.”
The video also featured the signatures of 15 other leaders: Para Wijayanto, Abu Mahmuda, Bambang Sukirno, Abu Fatih, Ustaz Zarkasih, Ustaz Shalahudin, Ustaz Fachrudin Soleh, Ustaz Saptono Munadi, Ustaz Abu Dujanah, Ustaz Qadri Faturrahman, Tengku Azhar, Ustaz Imtihan, Ustaz Hamad, Ustaz Mustaqim, and Ustaz Fahim, all signatories affirming the dissolution of JI.
Founded in the early 1990s with aspirations to establish an ‘Islamic state’ encompassing southern Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, and southern Philippines, JI gained notoriety for its involvement in the tragic Bali Bombings on October 12, 2002.
The attacks, which targeted multiple nightclubs and claimed 202 lives, underscored JI’s militant activities and its global connections. – July 5, 2024