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IS targeting recruitment method at families: Expert
(tribunnews
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(tribunnews.com) (tribunnews.com)
(tribunnews.com)
The Islamic State (IS) movement is targeting families, not just fighters, by highlighting schools for children, roles for women and the ability to live a fully Islamic life, says Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) director Sidney Jones.
'But the recruitment of families is more complicated than for individuals, and it's not always clear who the driving force is. Don't assume it's the husband; it can equally be the wife or teenage children,' Jones told thejakartapost.com on Sunday.
According to Jones, IS' changing recruitment method was likely evident in the recent disappearance of a family from Batam, Riau, which was reported to have joined the radical Muslim group in Syria.
Since the declaration of the caliphate in late June 2014, IS leadership declared that it was obligatory for all Muslims to undertake 'berhijrah [exodus] ' and that means families', Jones asserted.
The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) has reported that Dwi Djoko Wiwoho, a One-Stop Integrated Services (PTSP) director and Batam Free Trade Zone Authority (BPK FTZ) member, has joined IS.
BPK FTZ head Mustopa Widjaja expressed his shock at hearing that one of his colleagues had joined a radical group.
'I was really shocked because he had no radical track record,' Mustopa said, adding that Dwi's wife was part of a certain Islamic group. Dwi was previously a spokesman of the BPK FTZ.
Indonesians who have joined IS are said to be a second generation of convicted jihadis; people who leave because of the promise of better earnings; young recruits attracted by religious-based heroism; or a combination of any of the above.
Of the more than 500 Indonesians who are believed to have joined IS, about half have gone on to fight in Syria or Iraq. In contrast, fewer than 200 Indonesians were estimated to have fought in Afghanistan for al-Qaeda.(+)
