Darul Islam
Encyclopedia
Darul Islam is an Islamist
group in Indonesia
that aims for the establishment of an Islamic state
of Indonesia. It was started in 1942 by a group of Muslim
militias, coordinated by a charismatic radical Muslim
politician, Sekarmadji Maridjan Kartosuwirjo
. The group recognised only Shari'a as a valid source of law. The movement has produced splinters and offshoots that range from Jemaah Islamiyah
to non-violent religious groups.
During the Indonesian National Revolution
, Kartosuwirjo founded his own band of freedom fighters in West Java
, called Hizbullah and Sabilillah. As a protest toward the Renville Agreement
signed by Indonesian leaders in 1948, which ceded West Java to the Dutch
, Kartosuwirjo proclaimed "Darul Islam" (meaning Islamic State) in West Java on August 7, 1949. Darul Islam did not disband itself after the transfer of sovereignty in 1949, resulting in a clash with the government of the Indonesian Republic. Rebellious movements in provinces such as South Sulawesi
and Aceh
joined the Darul Islam Movement in 1951 and 1953, respectively. The Darul Islam in South Sulawesi was led by army deserter Kahar Muzakkar, while in Aceh it was led by Daud Bereueh
.
The movement flourished in 1950s due to chronic instability within the central government during the Liberal Democracy
Era. In 1957, it was estimated that the Darul Islam controlled one-third of West Java
and more than 90% of South Sulawesi
and Aceh
provinces where the government only controlled the cities and towns. The movement had 15,000 armed guerillas operating under the banner of "Tentara Islam Indonesia" (Indonesian Islamic Army). In that year, Darul Islam agents unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate Sukarno
by throwing grenades at him during a school function in Cikini, Central Jakarta
.
Implementation of martial law in 1957, followed by declaration of Guided Democracy
by Sukarno in 1959, marked the reversal of fortunes for Darul Islam. Smaller Darul Islam bands operating in Central Java
under Amir Fatah was crushed by Colonel Ahmad Yani
's Banteng Raiders in 1954-1957. Darul Islam forces in South Kalimantan
under Ibnu Hadjar was forced to surrender in 1959. Amir Fatah was killed in 1954, while Ibnu Hadjar was eventually executed in 1962.
Three years of negotiations (1959–1962) led to peace agreement that ends the conflict in Aceh, in which Aceh was restored as autonomous province with special rights for Islamic law. Introduction of effective "fence-of-legs" method of encircling rebel mountain hideouts in 1959 succeeded in breaking the strong rebel grip over West Java
's rural areas. On June 1962, Kartosuwirjo
was captured on his hideout of Mount Geber near Garut
. In captivity, Kartosuwirjo issued order for all his followers to surrender, after which he was quickly tried and executed. The last Darul Islam band in West Java surrendered on August 1962. Successive military operations also crushed the Darul Islam in South Sulawesi
. On February 1965, its leader Kahar Muzakkar was killed in a military ambush in the interior of Southeast Sulawesi province, ending the Darul Islam insurgency in Indonesia.
However, despite the group being dismantled, underground networks have persisted. In the 1970s and 1980s, there were occurrences of 'Islamic' terrorism attributed to a group known as Komando Jihad
. The leaders arrested from this group were found to be Darul Islam veterans.
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
group in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
that aims for the establishment of an Islamic state
Islamic State
An Islamic state is a type of government, in which the primary basis for government is Islamic religious law...
of Indonesia. It was started in 1942 by a group of Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
militias, coordinated by a charismatic radical Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
politician, Sekarmadji Maridjan Kartosuwirjo
Sekarmadji Maridjan Kartosuwirjo
Sekarmadji Maridjan Kartosuwirjo was an Indonesian Islamic mystic who led the Darul Islam rebellion against the Indonesian government from 1949 to 1962, with the objective of overthrowing the secular Pancasila ideology and establishing Negara Islam Indonesia based on sharia law.-Early...
. The group recognised only Shari'a as a valid source of law. The movement has produced splinters and offshoots that range from Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiah , is a Southeast Asian militant Islamic organization dedicated to the establishment of a Daulah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia incorporating Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Philippines, Singapore and Brunei...
to non-violent religious groups.
During the Indonesian National Revolution
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...
, Kartosuwirjo founded his own band of freedom fighters in West Java
West Java
West Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...
, called Hizbullah and Sabilillah. As a protest toward the Renville Agreement
Renville Agreement
The Renville Agreement was a United Nations Security Council brokered political accord between the Netherlands who were seeking to re-establish their colony in South East Asia, and Indonesian Republicans seeking to secure Indonesian independence during the Indonesian National Revolution...
signed by Indonesian leaders in 1948, which ceded West Java to the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Kartosuwirjo proclaimed "Darul Islam" (meaning Islamic State) in West Java on August 7, 1949. Darul Islam did not disband itself after the transfer of sovereignty in 1949, resulting in a clash with the government of the Indonesian Republic. Rebellious movements in provinces such as South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia, located on the western southern peninsula of Sulawesi Island. The province is bordered by Central Sulawesi province to the north, South East Sulawesi province to the east and West Sulawesi province to the west...
and Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
joined the Darul Islam Movement in 1951 and 1953, respectively. The Darul Islam in South Sulawesi was led by army deserter Kahar Muzakkar, while in Aceh it was led by Daud Bereueh
Daud Bereueh
Teungku Daud Beureueh , military Governor of Aceh and leader of the Darul Islam rebellion in the province ....
.
The movement flourished in 1950s due to chronic instability within the central government during the Liberal Democracy
Liberal democracy
Liberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
Era. In 1957, it was estimated that the Darul Islam controlled one-third of West Java
West Java
West Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...
and more than 90% of South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia, located on the western southern peninsula of Sulawesi Island. The province is bordered by Central Sulawesi province to the north, South East Sulawesi province to the east and West Sulawesi province to the west...
and Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
provinces where the government only controlled the cities and towns. The movement had 15,000 armed guerillas operating under the banner of "Tentara Islam Indonesia" (Indonesian Islamic Army). In that year, Darul Islam agents unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
by throwing grenades at him during a school function in Cikini, Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta
Central Jakarta is one of the five cities which form Jakarta, Indonesia. It had 898,883 inhabitants at the 2010 Census.Central Jakarta is the smallest in area and population of the five cities of Jakarta. It is the administrative and political center of Jakarta and Indonesia...
.
Implementation of martial law in 1957, followed by declaration of Guided Democracy
Guided Democracy
Guided democracy, also called managed democracy, is a term for a democratic government with increased autocracy. Governments are legitimated by elections that, while free and fair, are used by the government to continue their same policies and goals...
by Sukarno in 1959, marked the reversal of fortunes for Darul Islam. Smaller Darul Islam bands operating in Central Java
Central Java
Central Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java.This province is the province of high Human Development in Indonesia and its Points Development Index countries is equivalent to Lebanon. The province of Central Java...
under Amir Fatah was crushed by Colonel Ahmad Yani
Ahmad Yani
General Ahmad Yani was the commander of the Indonesian Army, and was killed by members of the 30 September Movement during an attempt to kidnap him from his house.-Early life:...
's Banteng Raiders in 1954-1957. Darul Islam forces in South Kalimantan
South Kalimantan
South Kalimantan/South Borneo is one of the thirty-three Provinces of Indonesia and one of four Indonesian provinces in the Indonesian part of Borneo. The provincial capital is Banjarmasin...
under Ibnu Hadjar was forced to surrender in 1959. Amir Fatah was killed in 1954, while Ibnu Hadjar was eventually executed in 1962.
Three years of negotiations (1959–1962) led to peace agreement that ends the conflict in Aceh, in which Aceh was restored as autonomous province with special rights for Islamic law. Introduction of effective "fence-of-legs" method of encircling rebel mountain hideouts in 1959 succeeded in breaking the strong rebel grip over West Java
West Java
West Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...
's rural areas. On June 1962, Kartosuwirjo
Sekarmadji Maridjan Kartosuwirjo
Sekarmadji Maridjan Kartosuwirjo was an Indonesian Islamic mystic who led the Darul Islam rebellion against the Indonesian government from 1949 to 1962, with the objective of overthrowing the secular Pancasila ideology and establishing Negara Islam Indonesia based on sharia law.-Early...
was captured on his hideout of Mount Geber near Garut
Garut
Garut is a town in the West Java province of Indonesia and is the capital of the Garut Regency. It is located about 75 km to the southeast of the major city of Bandung.-History:...
. In captivity, Kartosuwirjo issued order for all his followers to surrender, after which he was quickly tried and executed. The last Darul Islam band in West Java surrendered on August 1962. Successive military operations also crushed the Darul Islam in South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia, located on the western southern peninsula of Sulawesi Island. The province is bordered by Central Sulawesi province to the north, South East Sulawesi province to the east and West Sulawesi province to the west...
. On February 1965, its leader Kahar Muzakkar was killed in a military ambush in the interior of Southeast Sulawesi province, ending the Darul Islam insurgency in Indonesia.
However, despite the group being dismantled, underground networks have persisted. In the 1970s and 1980s, there were occurrences of 'Islamic' terrorism attributed to a group known as Komando Jihad
Komando Jihad
Komando Jihad was an Indonesian Islamic extremist group that existed from the 1970s until it was dissolved through the actions of the security services in the mid 1980s...
. The leaders arrested from this group were found to be Darul Islam veterans.