How Indonesians Join Terrorist Groups

What is it about?

The article explains four ways in which Indonesians can join jihadist groups: Islamic boarding schools, family, study sessions (pengajian), and communal conflict. It traces these four distinct pathways to entry by highlighting the experiences of actual members and former member of those groups. It draws on examples from Jemaah Islamiyah, Darul Islam, Tanah Runtuh and ISIS.

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Why is it important?

The process of joining jihadist groups is insufficiently understood and much of it relies on intelligence sources. This article draws on interviews with 49 current and former members of Islamist extremist groups. This lets us share their actual experiences in detail, which can, in turn, help shape counter-radicalization and counter-narrative programs for countering violent extremism (CVE)