The declaration of a State of Islam Caliphate by the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi on 29 June 2014 has drawn mixed reactions from the Indonesian jihadi community. Will this discord lead to possible violence?

The jihadist community in Indonesia has been divided over the extent to which it should back Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) and the ‘Caliphate’ of the State of Islam which he declared on 29 June 2014. Overt ba’iat (pledges of allegiance) for the ‘Caliphate’ from among radical individuals and smaller radical groups has increased. Conversely, despite supporting the cause of the ‘Caliphate’, established jihadi groups such as Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT) and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) have been cautious in formally pledging the oath of allegiance to the group.

… V. Arianti is an Associate Research Fellow and Robi Sugara is a graduate student pursuing MSc in Strategic Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University.