Islamic Radicalism and Anti-Americanism in Indonesia

Book excerpt: Even before 9/11, radical Islamic fundamentalist groups were using the Internet to reinforce their identities and ideologies, expand their networks, and disseminate information about their activities and their worldviews. Using two case studies from Indonesia-one examining the radical Islamic group Laskar Jihad, and the other looking at the anti-Americanism of post-9/11 Islamic radicalism in the country-this study details how such groups have used the Internet to define themselves, refine and disseminate their messages, and reach new audiences. It also shows how these groups can use the Internet to connect local grievances and narratives of marginalization and oppression with global meta-narratives of conspiracy against Islam to create a wide base of support. However, the two cases also show that these conspiracy meta-narratives-even when spread through the Internet, and even when repeated by traditional media outlets-were not enough to persuade a wide number of Indonesians to mobilize for an actual jihad in the form of a physical war on the conflict-ridden Maluku Islands or elsewhere.