In Indonesia, The Taliban's Victory Can Be Used As A Narrative For ISIS Or Al-Qaeda Propaganda

JAKARTA - Researcher from the Center for National Security Studies (Puskamnas) at Bhayangkara University, Greater Jakarta, Ali Asghar, assesses that the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan will have implications for Indonesia today.

According to Ali, this can be used by terror groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda as framing.

"It can be used as a propaganda narrative by groups supporting ISIS or Al-Qaeda. Consciously or not, the Taliban is a movement where jihad grew and developed from Afghanistan," said Ali when contacted by VOI, Monday, August 23.

It is true that ISIS, Al-Qaeda have a different birth embryo from the Taliban in Afghanistan. However, these terror groups have similarities in the ideological field, namely the formalization of Islamic law.

"In Indonesia, the rise of the Taliban can be an inspiration for groups that have been planning the goal of an Islamic state, the formalization of Islamic law. The Taliban has become an inspiration after 20 years of waiting to achieve victory," explained Ali.

Ali believes, ideologically, nothing has changed from the Taliban. For example in religious moderation, freedom of opinion or civil rights. On politics, however, the Taliban has taken a more pragmatic stance.

This is evidenced by the statements of several Taliban elites who will open cooperation with the governments of other countries, such as China or Russia. For Ali, this is interesting because it concerns the geopolitics of the Taliban in the future.

The reason is, the Taliban since the 70s have been fully supported by the Saudi Arabian government because they have similarities in Wahhabism. While China is a country with a different power bloc with Saudi Arabia.

"Well, this is dancing, we can see what the ending will be," said Ali.