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Why They Fight: The Social Experience of Becoming an Indonesian Mujahidin

Thu, March 31, 7:30 to 9:30pm, Washington State Convention Center, Floor: 6th Floor, Room 602

Abstract

Why would an individual travel abroad to take part in a violent conflict in another country? Approximately 300 Indonesians made this journey to train and fight in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan war and the civil war that followed. This was prior to the advent of the internet, chat rooms, and social media to shape the discourses. What public relations campaigns there were took place through traditional means of speeches, study circles, and magazine articles. Utilizing original fieldwork, including interviews with Afghan veterans and Mindanao veterans, this paper examines the motivations of foreign fighters. Prior research has shown that those who fight in a jihad may do so for reasons of piety, politics, or adventure. This paper will build on that prior analysis to highlight the social element in becoming a foreign fighter. Namely, many Indonesian foreign fighters had first been members of Darul Islam (DI) or Negara Islam Indonesia (NII) study circles. Through that shared experience in the study circle, they came into contact with a common discourse on jihad. They were told of the moral obligation to assist their brother abroad. They were inspired by stories of adventure. Thus, for the members of those circles, joining the fight was the logical next step in their group affiliation. This paper will compare then the experience of Afghan and Moro veterans to that of recent ISIS recruits to see how the role of social media is shaping those motivations and that social experience of participation.

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