• Home
  • About RSIS
    • Introduction
    • Building the Foundations
    • Welcome Message
    • Board of Governors
    • Staff Profiles
      • Executive Deputy Chairman's Office
      • Dean's Office
      • Management
      • Distinguished Fellows
      • Faculty and Research
      • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
      • Visiting Fellows
      • Adjunct Fellows
      • Administrative Staff
    • Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
    • RSIS Endowment Fund
    • Endowed Professorships
    • Career Opportunities
    • Getting to RSIS
  • Research
    • Research Centres
      • Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
      • Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
      • Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
      • Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
      • International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
    • Research Programmes
      • National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
      • Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
    • Research @ RSIS
    • Other Programmes
      • Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP)
  • Graduate Education
    • Graduate Programmes Office
    • Overview
    • MSc (Asian Studies)
    • MSc (International Political Economy)
    • MSc (International Relations)
    • MSc (Strategic Studies)
    • NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme
    • PhD Programme
    • Exchange Partners and Programmes
    • How to Apply
    • Financial Assistance
    • Information Sessions
    • RSIS Alumni
  • Alumni & Networks
    • Alumni
    • Asia Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
    • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
    • SRP Executive Programme
    • Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
  • Publications
    • RSIS Publications
      • Annual Reviews
      • Books
      • Bulletins and Newsletters
      • Commentaries
      • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
      • Commemorative / Event Reports
      • Interreligious Relations
      • Monographs
      • NTS Insight
      • Policy Reports
      • Working Papers
      • RSIS Publications for the Year
    • Glossary of Abbreviations
    • External Publications
      • Authored Books
      • Journal Articles
      • Edited Books / Special Issues
      • Chapters in Edited Books
      • Working Papers
      • Op-Eds
      • External Publications for the Year
    • Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
  • Media
    • Topical Issues
    • COVID-19 Resources
    • Media Highlights
    • News Releases
    • Speeches
    • Video Library
  • Events
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSISVideoCast RSISVideoCast rsis.sg
Linkedin
instagram instagram rsis.sg
RSS
  • Home
  • About RSIS
      • Introduction
      • Building the Foundations
      • Welcome Message
      • Board of Governors
      • Staff Profiles
        • Executive Deputy Chairman's Office
        • Dean's Office
        • Management
        • Distinguished Fellows
        • Faculty and Research
        • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
        • Visiting Fellows
        • Adjunct Fellows
        • Administrative Staff
      • Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
      • RSIS Endowment Fund
      • Endowed Professorships
      • Career Opportunities
      • Getting to RSIS
  • Research
      • Research Centres
        • Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
        • Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
        • Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
        • Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
        • International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
      • Research Programmes
        • National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
        • Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
      • Research @ RSIS
      • Other Programmes
        • Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP)
  • Graduate Education
      • Graduate Programmes Office
      • Overview
      • MSc (Asian Studies)
      • MSc (International Political Economy)
      • MSc (International Relations)
      • MSc (Strategic Studies)
      • NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme
      • PhD Programme
      • Exchange Partners and Programmes
      • How to Apply
      • Financial Assistance
      • Information Sessions
      • RSIS Alumni
  • Alumni & Networks
      • Alumni
      • Asia Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
      • SRP Executive Programme
      • Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
  • Publications
      • RSIS Publications
        • Annual Reviews
        • Books
        • Bulletins and Newsletters
        • Commentaries
        • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
        • Commemorative / Event Reports
        • Interreligious Relations
        • Monographs
        • NTS Insight
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • RSIS Publications for the Year
      • Glossary of Abbreviations
      • External Publications
        • Authored Books
        • Journal Articles
        • Edited Books / Special Issues
        • Chapters in Edited Books
        • Working Papers
        • Op-Eds
        • External Publications for the Year
      • Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
  • Media
      • Topical Issues
      • COVID-19 Resources
      • Media Highlights
      • News Releases
      • Speeches
      • Video Library
  • Events
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
  • instagram instagram rsis.sg
Connect

Getting to RSIS

Map

Address

Nanyang Technological University
Block S4, Level B3,
50 Nanyang Avenue,
Singapore 639798

View location on Google maps Click here for directions to RSIS

Get in Touch

Connect with Us

  rsis.ntu
  rsis_ntu
  rsisntu
RSISVideoCast RSISVideoCast rsisvideocast
  school/rsis-ntu
instagram instagram rsis.sg
  RSS
Subscribe to RSIS Publications
Subscribe to RSIS Events

RSIS Intranet

S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Ponder The Improbable Since 1966
Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University

Skip to content

 
  • RSIS
  • Publication
  • RSIS Publications
  • Pro-IS Home-Based Schooling in Indonesia
  • Annual Reviews
  • Books
  • Bulletins and Newsletters
  • Commentaries
  • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
  • Commemorative / Event Reports
  • Interreligious Relations
  • Monographs
  • NTS Insight
  • Policy Reports
  • Working Papers
  • RSIS Publications for the Year

CO20164 | Pro-IS Home-Based Schooling in Indonesia
Vidia Arianti, Ahmad Saiful Rijal Bin Hassan

28 August 2020

download pdf
RSIS Commentary is a platform to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical and contemporary issues. The authors’ views are their own and do not represent the official position of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced with prior permission from RSIS and due recognition to the author(s) and RSIS. Please email to Mr Yang Razali Kassim, Editor RSIS Commentary at [email protected]

SYNOPSIS

The community of supporters in Indonesia of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS)  has been working on the educational front to produce a generation of IS militant “cubs”. These cubs are being nurtured in their home-based schools,which remain untouched by the country’s laws.

COMMENTARY

IS SUPPORTERS have administered tens of home-based schools, mostly in Java, according to estimates by PAKAR, an Indonesian NGO that studies radicalism in Indonesia. They name the schools Rumah Qur’an (RQ), which literally means Qur’anic House.  It is technically a “boarding school” run in a house where the students live and study in a cramped environment.

Depending on the capacity of the house, a pro-IS RQ can accommodate eight to two dozen students, either single or mixed genders (segregated) in one compound. How are the schools grooming the potential “cubs” of IS, also known as ISIS?

Assessing the School’s Curriculum

Based on the publicly available social media accounts of some pro-IS schools, they offer tahfidz (memorising the Qur’an) programmes. However, their curriculum appears to be beyond merely memorising the verses. In essence, the schools offer religious classes with a Salafi curriculum. Two subjects highlighted as core subjects are Arabic language and Tawhid (Islamic Monotheism).

According to the posts, Arabic language is important in order to understand the Holy Quran as well as the Prophetic Tradition while Tawhid is central to a Muslim’s faith. While both subjects are traditionally important for all Muslims, the Salafi doctrinal orientation emphasises a rigid understanding of Tawhid that requires the abolition of all manifestations of shirk (polytheism), bara’ (disassociation) as well as takfir (excommunication) of so-called polytheists.

It is important to note that Salafism is not the root cause of terrorism; however for IS, it is pivotal for them to plant the seeds of antagonism towards the ‘enemies’ of Islam by exploiting certain religious concepts such as the Salafi doctrine of takfir.

The latter has been used to legitimise the IS’ killing of Muslims as well as others. As a result, IS supporters who run the RQs in Indonesia have co-opted Salafi principles as their correct theological approach to Islam.

“Nullifiers of Islam”

Much has been discussed about the idea of Caliphate espoused by IS and how it has managed to attract fighters across the world, but the concept of ‘nullifiers’ of Islam legitimises the atrocities that IS has committed against Muslims. This idea forms the basis for IS to isolate and excommunicate Muslims for supposedly not adhering to the ‘true’ teachings of Islam.

Pro-IS schools have adopted the book titled “Pembatalan Islam” as the core reference for the study of Tawhid, the fundamental principle of monotheism in Islam. The book is a translated treatise known as “The Nullifiers of Islam” written by Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab, the founder of the Islamic doctrine known as Wahhabism.

According to ‘Abd al-Wahhab, as explained by the scholar Shaikh Abdullah an-Najmi, this set of ten nullifiers can invalidate one’s religion and good deeds. If a person commits any one of these nullifiers and his good deeds become void, he will be relegated to the rank of unbelievers. One of the nullifiers notes that “Whoever does not excommunicate the polytheists, or is doubtful about their unbelief, or affirms the validity of their doctrine – he is an unbeliever by consensus”.

Among the posts by the home-based pro IS schools, one argues that parents who love their children should let them study Tawhid instead of Mathematics, English and National Civic Education. This is because they are the next generation of Muwahhid (monotheist). This term Muwahhid has been used by IS in its propaganda videos as well as publications. It refers to those who not just profess God’s unity but also those who perform jihad against the enemies.

In another post, a screenshot of a related WhatsApp group highlighted the achievement of some students who have completed several topics on Tawhid based on a booklet called “Alwaajibat” (the obligatory upon Muslims), also written by ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab. The post mentioned that it is imperative to educate the young against the polytheistic peril of modern times ─ such as democracy and other forms of political systems which do not recognise Sharia law. Such posts have garnered a lot of ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ among its followers.

Slowing Growth of Militant ‘Cubs’

The number of pro-IS home-based schools will likely grow as the administrators aim to establish more such schools across the country. Law enforcement agencies are not able to arrest such growth as the administrators of the schools are not technically involved in terror acts.

The home-based pro-IS schools have attracted both parents who are supporters of IS and parents in the local neighbourhood who are not IS supporters. Just as parents involved in Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the largest jihadi group in Indonesia, enrol their children to study at JI schools, IS parents and supporters would see such schools as important institutions to instil IS values in their children.

Moreover, children of the pro-IS followers who are detained and slain pro-IS militants are sponsored by pro-IS charity groups when they go to such schools. For the unsuspecting non-IS parents, who live in the vicinity of a pro-IS school, they may be enticed by the school’s claim that it offers the “true” teachings of Islam.

To slow the creation of a new generation of militant ‘cubs’, more needs to be done to stem the growth of such schools if they purvey values that are antithetical to the security of the country. The Indonesian government and civil society organisations could mitigate it by first, ensuring that the children of radical inmates and slain militants do not study at those schools.

This would help to stop the cycle of radicalism within IS families. Second, there should be general education within the community about such schools, especially among unsuspecting parents who merely want a religious education for their children.

About the Authors

V. Arianti and Ahmad Saiful Rijal are both Associate Research Fellows at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), a constituent unit in the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

Categories: Commentaries / Country and Region Studies

Last updated on 31/08/2020

RSIS Commentary is a platform to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical and contemporary issues. The authors’ views are their own and do not represent the official position of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced with prior permission from RSIS and due recognition to the author(s) and RSIS. Please email to Mr Yang Razali Kassim, Editor RSIS Commentary at [email protected]

SYNOPSIS

The community of supporters in Indonesia of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS)  has been working on the educational front to produce a generation of IS militant “cubs”. These cubs are being nurtured in their home-based schools,which remain untouched by the country’s laws.

COMMENTARY

IS SUPPORTERS have administered tens of home-based schools, mostly in Java, according to estimates by PAKAR, an Indonesian NGO that studies radicalism in Indonesia. They name the schools Rumah Qur’an (RQ), which literally means Qur’anic House.  It is technically a “boarding school” run in a house where the students live and study in a cramped environment.

Depending on the capacity of the house, a pro-IS RQ can accommodate eight to two dozen students, either single or mixed genders (segregated) in one compound. How are the schools grooming the potential “cubs” of IS, also known as ISIS?

Assessing the School’s Curriculum

Based on the publicly available social media accounts of some pro-IS schools, they offer tahfidz (memorising the Qur’an) programmes. However, their curriculum appears to be beyond merely memorising the verses. In essence, the schools offer religious classes with a Salafi curriculum. Two subjects highlighted as core subjects are Arabic language and Tawhid (Islamic Monotheism).

According to the posts, Arabic language is important in order to understand the Holy Quran as well as the Prophetic Tradition while Tawhid is central to a Muslim’s faith. While both subjects are traditionally important for all Muslims, the Salafi doctrinal orientation emphasises a rigid understanding of Tawhid that requires the abolition of all manifestations of shirk (polytheism), bara’ (disassociation) as well as takfir (excommunication) of so-called polytheists.

It is important to note that Salafism is not the root cause of terrorism; however for IS, it is pivotal for them to plant the seeds of antagonism towards the ‘enemies’ of Islam by exploiting certain religious concepts such as the Salafi doctrine of takfir.

The latter has been used to legitimise the IS’ killing of Muslims as well as others. As a result, IS supporters who run the RQs in Indonesia have co-opted Salafi principles as their correct theological approach to Islam.

“Nullifiers of Islam”

Much has been discussed about the idea of Caliphate espoused by IS and how it has managed to attract fighters across the world, but the concept of ‘nullifiers’ of Islam legitimises the atrocities that IS has committed against Muslims. This idea forms the basis for IS to isolate and excommunicate Muslims for supposedly not adhering to the ‘true’ teachings of Islam.

Pro-IS schools have adopted the book titled “Pembatalan Islam” as the core reference for the study of Tawhid, the fundamental principle of monotheism in Islam. The book is a translated treatise known as “The Nullifiers of Islam” written by Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab, the founder of the Islamic doctrine known as Wahhabism.

According to ‘Abd al-Wahhab, as explained by the scholar Shaikh Abdullah an-Najmi, this set of ten nullifiers can invalidate one’s religion and good deeds. If a person commits any one of these nullifiers and his good deeds become void, he will be relegated to the rank of unbelievers. One of the nullifiers notes that “Whoever does not excommunicate the polytheists, or is doubtful about their unbelief, or affirms the validity of their doctrine – he is an unbeliever by consensus”.

Among the posts by the home-based pro IS schools, one argues that parents who love their children should let them study Tawhid instead of Mathematics, English and National Civic Education. This is because they are the next generation of Muwahhid (monotheist). This term Muwahhid has been used by IS in its propaganda videos as well as publications. It refers to those who not just profess God’s unity but also those who perform jihad against the enemies.

In another post, a screenshot of a related WhatsApp group highlighted the achievement of some students who have completed several topics on Tawhid based on a booklet called “Alwaajibat” (the obligatory upon Muslims), also written by ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab. The post mentioned that it is imperative to educate the young against the polytheistic peril of modern times ─ such as democracy and other forms of political systems which do not recognise Sharia law. Such posts have garnered a lot of ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ among its followers.

Slowing Growth of Militant ‘Cubs’

The number of pro-IS home-based schools will likely grow as the administrators aim to establish more such schools across the country. Law enforcement agencies are not able to arrest such growth as the administrators of the schools are not technically involved in terror acts.

The home-based pro-IS schools have attracted both parents who are supporters of IS and parents in the local neighbourhood who are not IS supporters. Just as parents involved in Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the largest jihadi group in Indonesia, enrol their children to study at JI schools, IS parents and supporters would see such schools as important institutions to instil IS values in their children.

Moreover, children of the pro-IS followers who are detained and slain pro-IS militants are sponsored by pro-IS charity groups when they go to such schools. For the unsuspecting non-IS parents, who live in the vicinity of a pro-IS school, they may be enticed by the school’s claim that it offers the “true” teachings of Islam.

To slow the creation of a new generation of militant ‘cubs’, more needs to be done to stem the growth of such schools if they purvey values that are antithetical to the security of the country. The Indonesian government and civil society organisations could mitigate it by first, ensuring that the children of radical inmates and slain militants do not study at those schools.

This would help to stop the cycle of radicalism within IS families. Second, there should be general education within the community about such schools, especially among unsuspecting parents who merely want a religious education for their children.

About the Authors

V. Arianti and Ahmad Saiful Rijal are both Associate Research Fellows at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR), a constituent unit in the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

Categories: Commentaries / Country and Region Studies

Last updated on 31/08/2020

Back to top

Terms of Use | Privacy Statement
Copyright © S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. All rights reserved.
This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy. Learn more
OK
Latest Book
Pro-IS Home-Based Schooling in Indonesia

SYNOPSIS

The community of supporters in Indonesia of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS)  has been working on the educational front to produce a generati ...
more info