Gender-Based Counterterrorism Approach

DIDIE SW

Didie SW

It is like fire against fire. When we observe the government’s current counterterrorism policies in coping with terror, the color of violence is bold and more prominent.

As a result, various marginalized groups such as women and children in a circle of terror are increasingly in a position of vulnerability to being manipulated by terror activities that stem from the expression of the power of patriarchy. It is at this point that a gender perspective that cares about marginalized subjects needs to be presented as the main narrative in counterterrorism efforts.

Also read: Fighting against Terrorism

The reflection of the above thoughts comes from my experience in 2012, when conducting field research in Tenggulun Village, Lamongan, East Java. In the research, I interviewed several family members of two brothers, Amrozi and Ali Gufron. About 10 years after the bali bombing killed 202 people, the village looked deserted and the residents did not take part in activities.

"Don\'t ask too many questions, my mom had a stroke and is still in recovery," said a female teacher of the Al-Islam Islamic Boarding School who escorted me to see the wife of Amrozi, one of the Islamic militants on death row for the 2002 Bali bombings. We then briefly talked about jihad and the role of women in Islam.

Also read: When Terrorism Targeted Women

The stories of these women came back to mind when I heard of the suicide bombing that took place at a Catholic church in Makassar and the shooting at the National Police headquarters recently. The involvement of women in acts of terrorism is not new at all.

KOMPAS/RENY SRI AYU

Security guards stand guard around the Cathedral Church, Makassar, Sunday (28/3/2021) after a suicide bombing by a husband and wife.

Dian Yulia Novi, involved in a bomb attack targeting the Presidential Palace, was arrested in 2016. Two years later, Puji Kuswati along with her husband and four children blew themselves up in several churches in Surabaya, killing 18 people.

According to a report published by the Institute for Economic and Peace (IPAC), from 2004-2020, 32 women were convicted and jailed for their involvement in terrorism (IPAC, 2020).

Also read: Operating in ‘Two Legs’

The presence of women at the forefront of terrorism activities shows how the position of women is becoming more vulnerable as objects that often experience a cycle of manipulation and exploitation by groups that have an ideological orientation of anti-women\'s rights, violence, patriarchy and machismo.

Meanwhile, the government’s counterterrorism policy does not pay attention to the presence of women as the main agent of terror or power relations in acts of terrorism.

Also read: The Issue of Radicalism

Counterterrorism policies seem to repeatedly replicate the mainstream approach that prioritizes counterviolence or persuasion do not consider women\'s oppression and the presence of women in policy formulation that go beyond violence-based approaches.

KOMPAS/KRISTIAN OKA PRASETYADI

Participants in the solidarity action between religious believers distributed flowers and black ribbons to the Catholic congregation at the Makassar Cathedral, South Sulawesi, on Easter Sunday (4/4/2021). The action was in response to a suicide bombing terror attack at the location last week.

Counterterrorism strategy

In relation to the policies of preventing and overcoming terrorism in Indonesia, the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) implements a prevention program that consists of two layers, namely de-radicalization and counter-radicalization strategies (Bakti, 2012).

Both the de-radicalization strategy and the counter-radicalization approach, which aims to prevent the wider community from terror activities, do not emphasize a critical approach in dealing with inequality in gender power relations and patriarchal culture.

Meanwhile, in relation to Indonesia\'s counterterrorism strategy as implemented by the Densus 88 anti-terrorism squad, the strategy is considered capable of uncovering terrorism networks with a radical Islamic ideology. As an illustration, since 2002, more than 1,200 people have been arrested and 600 of them have been convicted (Singh, 2016).

Also read: Sharp Bend in Religious Moderation

However, we also need to consider various criticisms, such as the alleged torture of terrorism suspects and the practice of extrajudicial killings carried out by Densus 88, which ignores the presumption of innocence and injures democratic values.

The criticism against the coercive approach is also growing in line with the plan to involve the military in dealing with the terrorism as stipulated in a draft presidential regulation regarding the involvement of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in counterterrorism actions. Whether we are aware or not, the plan is quite disturbing as it appears amid our efforts in building mechanisms for the criminal justice system and the promotion of human rights, or democracy.

Women in counterterrorism

Coercion and violence as symbols of masculinity do not address the vulnerabilities of women, who are currently at the forefront of acts of terrorism. If the violence continues to become the main consideration of the state in cracking down on terrorism, it will fail to explain the situation and roles of women in the vortex of terrorism (Sjoberg & Gentry, 2007).

The recent shooting at the National Police Headquarters conducted by a female jihadist identified as ZA requires a counterterrorist approach that does not rely solely on violent arguments. The presence of women as the spearhead of terror requires the involvement of knowledge about the position of women and women\'s agencies.

Indonesia\'s counterterrorism strategy is complex, but gender as an important variable has not been explored.

Indonesia\'s counterterrorism strategy is complex, but gender as an important variable has not been explored. A gender perspective is useful in assessing the involvement of women as perpetrators of terrorism based on women\'s experiences and interests. It is now the time to involve gender-based approach in the government’s efforts in coping with terrorism.

In its efforts to protect human rights and justice for women, the government needs to reformulate laws and regulations related to counterterrorism by considering women\'s experiences and women\'s rights as the main basis in the issuance of a policy in coping with terrorism. The inclusion of the feminist reasoning in counterterrorism policies should be manifested through the principles of equality, solidarity, cares for various dimensions of oppression as the spirit of state policy.

ARSIP PRIBADI

Milda Istiqomah

Practically various things that are unthinkable in counter-terrorism policies, such as social inequalities that include patriarchal culture, poverty, low access to education and discrimination against women must be considered in a policy making process and it requires citizen participation, especially women!

Milda Istiqomah, Lecturer at the School of Law, Brawijaya University.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.