Jihadist-salafism in Indonesia: will it present a security challenge to law and order in Indonesia in the next ten years?

This paper addresses the question of whether jihadist-salafism, an extreme and violent wing of militant Sunni Islam, will present a security challenge to law and order in Indonesia in the next ten years. It acknowledges that the Indonesian government has made great strides against jihadi-salafists but that their threat arguably poses a greater challenge than at any time in Indonesia's history, as recently demonstrated in the Jakarta attacks of January 2016.

The paper articulates the link between ideology and violence within the jihadi-salafist movement and charts its penetration into Indonesia. It outlines some policy and operational responses that would assist the Indonesian government to successfully mitigate the challenges posed by jihadi-salafists. The paper concludes that if it makes the right decisions in the years ahead, Indonesia may well emerge stronger at home and abroad, respected for leading the way against a global threat.

Author