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Abu Bakar Bashir rekindles dream of an Islamic state in Indonesia
The ideological stalwart of the country’s radical Islamist movement makes a strategic move with his recent call for a fatwa on the issue.
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Abu Bakar Bashir’s ideological tenacity presents a persistent dilemma for Indonesia’s counterterrorism apparatus.
PHOTOS: YUSRIL IHZA MAHENDRA, LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE
Muhammad Makmun Rasyid
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Abu Bakar Bashir, the ideological stalwart of Indonesia’s radical Islamist movement, made an unexpected visit to the headquarters of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in January.
Accompanied by six aides, including Said Sungkar, the younger brother of his long-time ally, the late Abdullah Sungkar, and Afif Abdul Majid, a senior figure in Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT), Bashir made a provocative request during the visit. He called for a fatwa legitimising “the obligation to establish an Islamic state”.
