Many uneducated and poor people join hard-line religious or ethnic-based mass organizations to be part of a collective identity, experts say.
Acts of violence carried out by hard-line groups have escalated around Greater Jakarta, with churches, residents perceived as non-native Jakartans and opposing gangs becoming prime targets.
“Poverty is one of the reasons [residents] join such organizations. But the main reason is that they crave a sense of identity, which the groups can provide them with,” Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Islamic and Society Studies Center (PPIM) director Jajat Burhanuddin told The Jakarta Post recently.
“Having a single identity allows members of these groups to do things [they would not do as individuals], including attacking those they perceive as different,” he said.
This is why organizations such as the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) dared to attack churches, and why the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) and Betawi People’s Communication Forum (Forkabi) were often involved in brawls, Jajat said.
He said certain parties used the bandwagon-factor in organizations to mobilize groups for political
reasons.
“Siti” who lives near the FPI headquarters on Jl. Petamburan III in Central Jakarta, said the FPI members who were involved in violence were often poor and uneducated.
“Most residents of this neighborhood are poor and uneducated. That is also why [my husband and I] established a school here for street children,” said Siti, who is a teacher at Nurani Insani school.
University of Indonesia political scientist Chusnul Mar’iyah said for many Betawi people a shortage of skills meant they were unable to compete for access to the fruits of development.
“Violence is becoming the best option for them to improve their bargaining positions,” she said.
“Putra”, a member of the FBR branch in Gelora, Central Jakarta, said he joined the FBR two months ago to make friends.
“I built a stronger relationship with other members,” he said, adding that there were around 50 members in his small branch who were mostly motorcycle taxi (ojek) drivers, unofficial parking attendants and unemployed.
Putra, who earns between Rp 50,000 (US$5.60) and Rp 150,000 a day said “many had joined the FBR to maintain brotherhood, not for thuggery”. Putra said his group managed an unofficial parking site in the neighborhood.
Iwan, a member of the Forkabi branch in Palmerah, West Jakarta, said that he had joined the organization in 2003 because he wanted somewhere to hang out with friends.
“I live close to a small Forkabi post. I always sit in the hut while waiting for passengers,” said Iwan, a high school graduate who now works as an ojek driver.
He added that he and other members of the group were also responsible for maintaining neighborhood security.
“I don’t know how much residents pay us. [You should] ask the community unit chief. He manages security levies.” (ipa)
