Arab Imperialism
Apr 19th, 2007, in Society, by PatungRadical Muslims in Indonesia and the “Arab invasion”.
An article in the Wall Street Journal by Bret Stephens – The Arab Invasion: Indonesia’s radicalized Muslims aren’t homegrown.
Habib Rizieq, threatening George Bush with death.
Habib Mohammad Rizieq Shihab (see Playboy Jihad, FPI, Garda Bangsa, & Gus Dur, Habib Riziq Beats a Retreat, Bush Visit Opposition, Bush’s Blood Halal) of the Front Pembela Islam, Front for the Defence of Islam (FPI), is interviewed and Habib answers this question:
Where are you from?
by saying Yemen, even though he was born in Jakarta. Stephens then goes on to detail some of the more memorable antics of Habib and the FPI and he asks about the source of funding for the organisation and suggests that it is Saudi Arabia.
The Mecca-based Muslim World League, for example, is notorious for sending its representatives to Indonesia with suitcases of cash to fund its pet projects, often extremist religious boarding schools. The Saudi religious affairs office in Jakarta finances the publication of a million books a year translated from Arabic into Indonesian.
Many of Indonesia’s radical Muslims are, like Habib, of Arab descent, says Stephens, although he doesn’t mention many, and he then goes on to briefly speak of the Institute for Islamic and Arabic Studies, or LIPIA, a Saudi Arabian funded university in Jakarta which can count Jafar Umar Thalib, the founder of Laskar Jihad as one of its alumni.
Stephens ends by saying that Indonesia has a choice – remain part of Asia or become culturally subsumed into Greater Arabia. Read on.
14 Comments on “Arab Imperialism”
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Dymal says:
I agree with rambutan.
So we have a little opportunist who gained people respect and who wants to increase his comfort of life,
he observes Indonesian people just too well, and saying that his ancestors were orginated from yemen is pure marketing.
On the other hand we have fractions of political elites (could be army generals or anything else, just bigger opportunist) who need him for much more bigger pie of wealth.
And starting from here the relation is political bargain and really take victims.
What about the overseas funds, no doubt that some money are coming, but the biggest contributors to the street clashes, violents and chaos is political rivalry.
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Sputjam says:
The Arabs do not have to send money over. There are suckers born every minute all over the world who would dress, think and try to be Arabs, including embracing the Arab invented religion. Only those who have come to their senses will realise the folly.
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FPI and similar organisations were initially financed by the military and some civilian politicians. Funding from the Middle East might be less important here.
I thought Pamswakarsa that was funded by the military. It might be true that some of military members are sympathetic to FPI and others militant organisations. But it is still unclear to me how did all start it? There seemed to be militant Muslims before the military decided to fund them.
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Andrew says:
The trend is clear: Indonesia is merely changing its master. It used to be the Dutch, then came the “elder brother” Japanese, and now the Arabs.
When will we be our own master?
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Grace and Mercy says:
This country would be better off if he (Habib Rizieq) goes back to Yemen.
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Raden says:
Yes, agree with Andrew, Indonesia is losing their identity & very weak against new kind of imperialism.
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Zaki Hammaad says:
Indonesia is one with the Muslim Ummah. To try and rule the Muslims by division may have succeeded in the past, but how much longer can this Imperialistic policy work for the benefit of the Islamophobic West?
The status quo is changing and their is a global alternative to America’s capitalist ‘democracy’… It is purely and simly Islam.
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Aluang Anak Bayang says:
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi WabarakatohI couldn’t agree more. Our ummah is getting stronger by the day. Islam is continuing its triumphant march across the world as we speak. There were now 1.6 billion Muslims, and by immigration and high birth rates, Muslims will become a major community in Europe and America.
Salam.
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Tuan says:
Islam is growing everywhere, particularly in the US where I was born in raised. Adopting “Arab Culture” does not equate to losing your Indonesian identity as it says in the Quran that God created us in nations and tribes to learn from each other. Like in America, Indonesians are turning to religion for structure as young Christians in the US are turning to Christianity for structure. Quite a large number of Muslims in the US are converts.
~Tuan-American Indonesian Muslim
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Mach Jabber says:
All hail Backwardism!
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Achmed says:
Our grandchildren will spit on all our graves for wasting time with war, religion and other things instead of focussing on more important things such as Global Warming to leave a better world behind for our offspring.
Long live Fred Flinstone…
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Alamoudi says:
Don’t forget Indonesians that you’re one with the Muslim Umma
and that these “Arab” traditions are Muslim traditions, who would leave his own religion
traditions!Remember that the Dutch, English ,and Japanese all came with weapons and guns,
but those Arabs came with love, peace, and with a religion of Islam.You accepted them and treated them as brothers and with the utmost respect.
Please don’t let this wonderful social fabric of Indonesia fall!
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Actually Al, the a significant number of the traditions are just what is said, Arab traditions not Islamic ones. Indonesians have got along just fine without adopting the intellectual and moral dead end that is modern Arab Islam. In the meantime get back to us when Saudi women can drive, all women can vote and females are entitled to the same education as men. If you need some help, I am sure Indonesia can help you take some baby steps in the modern era.
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FPI and similar organisations were initially financed by the military and some civilian politicians. Funding from the Middle East might be less important here.