Indonesia’s Moderate Muslim Websites & Their Fight against Online Islamic Extremism

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The Indonesian Anti-Terrorism Agency (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme, or BNPT) argues that Islamist terrorists had previously focused on “hard power”, such as bombings of Western-related targets, or suicide bombings, to attain their objectives. But in recent years, due to state repression and dwindling public support, terrorists have abandoned this strategy, and now resort instead to “soft power”. Soft power here refers to the use of non-violent means to achieve one’s interests. Terrorists now use the Internet, including social media, or join community organizations which they utilize later on, to gain support for their cause. Be that as it may, the Internet has become a strategic tool not only for terrorists but for radical Muslims as well, who use it to disseminate their intolerant ideas of Islam. While terrorists use and advocate violence, radical Muslims promote non-violent religious extremism.

Between January and December 2022, BNPT identified some 600 social media accounts and websites that promoted religious radicalism. In that period, these websites and social media accounts posted more than 900 pieces with radical content, including expressions of intolerance and takfiri (the act of labelling others as apostates). The agency also found almost the same number of websites and social media accounts in the previous year.

Our research examines the role of moderate Muslim media websites in battling against Islamic online extremism. The NU Online, Islami.co, and IBTimes.id are affiliated with the two largest Muslim organizations in Indonesia (Nadhlatul Ulama [NU] and Muhammadiyah). These are among the most popular moderate Muslim media websites in Indonesia. This article looks at the websites’ effectiveness in battling online religious extremism. It also examines the challenges they face in dealing with religious extremism and how they have weathered those challenges. We argue that their efforts have not been very effective. This is due to structural and cultural problems impeding the websites’ operations. Two major challenges faced are limited funding for the outlets, as well as these outlets’ failure to connect with the urban young.

Many Indonesians, especially youth and students, seek knowledge, including learning about Islam, from the Internet, and many do so from radical social media accounts and websites.