Traces Of 'Black' Abdul Qadir Baraja, Leader Of The Muslim Khilafatul: Imprisoned For 13 Years For Bombing Case In East Java-Borobudur

Illustration-(Photo: DOK ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Polda Metro Jaya has just arrested the leader of the Khilafatul Muslimin group, Abdul Qadir Baraja in Lampung. Currently, he is being brought by investigators to Jakarta.

Looking back, Abdul Qadir was often in trouble with the law. Director of Prevention of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) Brigadier General Ahmad Nurwakhid said Abdul Qadir was a former member of the NII and one of the founders of the Ngruki Islamic Boarding School and took part in the Indonesian Mujahidin Council in 2000, although he chose not to be active.

Baraja has been detained twice. The first was in January 1979 related to the Warman Terror and was detained for 3 years.

Then he was arrested and detained again for 13 years in connection with the bombings in East Java and Borobudur in early 1985.

Nurwakhid said that the Khilafatul Muslimin group was as dangerous as HTI, NIII and ISIS because they campaigned for the establishment of the caliphate system. Some time ago, this group had gone viral for holding convoys on roads in Brebes, Central Java and East Jakarta.

They carried attributes that read 'The Awakening of the Caliphate' and campaigned for the establishment of the Khilafah system as a solution for the Ummah carried out by the Khilafatul Muslimin group.

This Khilafatul Muslimin actually has the same ideals and ideology as HTI which has been dissolved by the government, namely establishing a caliphate.

"The difference is, HTI is a trans-national movement and is fighting for the caliphate system in various countries. While the Khilafatul Muslimin claims to have established a caliphate with an elected caliph," explained Nurwakhid as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, May 31.

Nurwakhid explained that the genealogy of the Khilafatul Muslimin cannot be separated from the NII because most of the key figures in this movement are former NII.

Nurwakhid added that there are several parameters that can be used in viewing the Khilafatul Muslimin. First, the ideological aspect is very dangerous by having the ideological ideals of a caliphate in Indonesia as HTI.

"Although in their confession they do not contradict Pancasila, their ideology is to disbelieve in a system that is not in accordance with their views," he explained.

Second, continued Nurwakhid, historically, the founder of this movement was very close to radical groups such as NII, MMI and had a track record in terrorism cases.

Third, the ideological impact, this movement which has the ideological ideals of changing the system is very vulnerable to metamorphosis into a terror movement.

"Look at the case of the arrest of NAS as a terrorist suspect in Bekasi, which was found in his rented box containing the Khilafatul Muslimin and the Khilafatul Muslimin embroidered logo," he said.

In addition, Nurwakhid continued, the Khilafatul Muslimin movement is easily affiliated with terror group networks such as ISIS. even during the heyday of ISIS in 2015, Rohan Gunaratna, a Terrorism Researcher from Singapore, classified Khilafatul Muslims as having pledged allegiance to ISIS.

BNPT, which is mandated as the leading sector to coordinate the prevention of ideas that can encourage terrorism, has coordinated the Regional Government, Forkopimda throughout the territory of the Republic of Indonesia to be aware of this movement because it contradicts the nation's philosophy and has the potential to give birth to a terrorism movement.