Still remember the Watsiqat Tarsyid Al-Amal Al-Jihadi fi Mishra wal Alam written by Abdul Qadir Abdul Aziz? Yes, because that ex-offficial of the Jihad Jama’ah in Egypt had caused a commotion in the world of international Jihad. The reason was that Abdul Qadir Abdul Aziz, in his writing, criticized some of the actions of Al-Qaeda. A bailer was then intercepted, Ayman al-Zawahiri, a fellow Jihad figure from Egypt had to come down and speak. Though it was not the first work that had criticized Al-Qaeda, it was only then that Ayman commented on the thinking of Abdul Qadir Abdul Aziz. This phenomenon contributed to the build up of heat in the climate of Jihad opinions in this country (Indonesia –ed.). The camp which was inclined to be critical towards Al-Qaeda, such as the camp of Sabili, published that taraju’ (retraction) in its Indonesian edition. Meanwhile, the party which was pro towards Al-Qaeda, was active enough in distributing the protest by Ayman in various medias.

Forget the frenzies resulting from the release of the Watsiqat. Let’s move to the statement made by Abu Yahya Al-Libbi. In a video release with the duration of about 40 minutes, one of the two persons who were successful in escaping from the Bagram prison along with Umar Al-Faruq—rahimahullah—also gave out a response, which in a glance look similar to the commentaries made by other Al-Qaeda’s high officials. However, he pointed up one judgment in it which was quite interesting. Al-Libbi considered the release of the book (Watsiqat) as a kind of trickeries invented by the enemies. The objective, according to Al-Libbi, had been plainly obvious i.e. to make the Mujahideen busy with debates, reactions and protests until they become negligent towards the true practices of Jihad i.e. to conduct the Jihad of fighting the tangible enemies. What was also interesting was that Al-Libbi did not condemn Abdul Qadir Abdul Aziz at all. He did not say that the ex-figure of the Jihad Jama’ah was the “author”, but called the book as something “designated” (mansubah) to Abdul Qadir, though the video of Abdul Qadir officially releasing the Watsiqat was circulating. In fact, even in mentioning the name of Abdul Qadir, Al-Libbi added it with the do’a of goodness: “farrajallahu lahu.”

This affirmed the belief of Al-Libbi that the book, once again, was a part of the great conspiracy in fighting Jihad and the Mujahideen. It could be that the Watsiqat was not written by Abdul Qadir— though associated with releasing the video of the book launching. Even if he did, it was not free from the conspiracy and intervention of the enemies. Some kind of carefulness in viewing something fuller and deeper, not simply for the sake being swept away in quarrels and mere debates. Sure, besides displaying the highness of akhlaq of a Mujahid, he was also guarding the honor of a fellow Muslim, by not attacking his person. A discourse was objected with a discourse, not to the point of stabbing the character and personality of an individual. Such a difference from our local condition, where an uncertain figure easily hurl accusations and fitnahs at the figures of Jihad movement in Indonesia— whether it be through the internet or any black leaflets— lauding one figure and blaspheming another. A change in the climate of the movement which is too drastic and arousing suspicions, that should be assumed as a part of the enemies’ intelligence operations in executing the “character assassination” on certain figures.

Creating the atmosphere of frenzy full of quarrels and debates between the Mujahideen is only one amongst the many tactics of the enemies of Islam. In the same video, Al-Libbi exposed two other ploys. The first is the usage of weapons in killing the Mujahideen. Face to face combat and deployment of the entire war machines in order to suppress the Mujahideen. An obvious maneuver as can be heard, seen and felt by anyone i.e. as what is happening today in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Jihad lands. The second is hidden in characteristic— the same as the atmosphere of frenzy mentioned earlier, this is more to the action by the intelligence i.e. by hiring the suu’ ulamas so that they are willing to deligitimatize Jihad. Consequently, strange interpretations appear which sterilize the meaning of Jihad until it is deviated. Though quite effective in influencing some Muslims on one side, the canalization in thinking is obvious enough on the other side. It is only effective amongst the general public, meanwhile the ahlul ‘ilm and sincere people are able to differentiate which are ordered/bought fatwas and which are not.

Besides the three things explained by Al-Libbi above, at least there are still two other things which become the strategies of the enemies in suppressing Jihad and the Mujahideen. The first is the social operation, by spreading opinions plus a bit of intimidation as the main weapon. How to create a social environment which does not support Jihad and the Mujahideen? The image of the Mujahids are projected as troublemakers by labeling them as terrorists. The concrete example is as what we have felt not long ago during the funeral of Urwah and company — rahimahumullah. How the society that was just cool in the first place suddenly became ignited as if truly hating those “terrorists”. Series of news filling up the mass media at that time did not in any way attach the fabrication and intimidation by certain elements. The society was conditioned as such to make them move away from Jihad and the Mujahideen. Unfortunately, at the same time, the activists now and again – don’t know why – uttered and reacted in a counterproductive way, which instead made the society hate them and move further away.

Lastly, it is the internal virus that is not always realized amongst the Jihad activists: infiltration and provocation. The enemies purposely help in maturing a Jihad operation plan before its due time, by provoking some Mujahideen to execute premature operations. Premature in the sense that not enough consideration of a strategic study for the execution of the next move was made, even if it is planned, all the data and information regarding the activities have already been monitored by the enemies. It is not uncommon that they are suddenly present amongst the Jihadists as figures who are so enthusiastic in supporting Jihad. In fact, they are willing to bear the financial and logistics. Thus, when an operation takes place, the enemies could easily suppress it and carry out their hidden cause which was deliberately mounted on that operation. A pattern like this has diverse motives. It could be a medium for the shifting of issues – when the enemies are made desperate politically by their opponents in politics, or just intentionally making the fruit of Jihad matured before its time, until the “negative impacts” of Jihad for them could be localized and anticipated. The destructive impacts for them would not be like if the fruit of Jihad is perfectly matured.

As the dzirwatu sanam (pinnacle) of Islam, the ibaadah of Jihad has fadhilah (virtues) which are much higher than the other deeds. That is what makes some Muslims never absent in carving the ways of Jihad from time to time. We surely do not want Jihad developed by the Muslims to be based on an engineering which instead was planned by the enemies of Islam, for a variety of their interests which precisely are unfavourable for the Muslims. We certainly are not willing when the ibaadah of Jihad which sacrifices the best of everything owned by the Islamic ummah, has its fruits plucked by the enemies of Islam. This article is not meant to deflate the ruh and deed of Jihad at all. It is only as an expression of unwillingness from the writer, when the wells of blood and tears poured by this ummah end up in cheers and laughter from the enemies for their victory over the success of their trickeries. Enough is Ali Moertopo with his well-known Opsus (Special Operation) to become the last episode of a tragedy for Jihad in these countries, no succeeding generation thereafter. Hasbunallah wa ni’mal wakiil.

A Facebook account containing blasphemies on Ustadz Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, while praising Almarhum (the late) Urwah and Ustadz Aman Abdurrahman—hafidzahullah, appeared on the internet. Regardless of how different the opinions amongst the activists of Jihad are, it has never blasphemed and ruined the good name of a figure in the calibre of Ustadz Abu Bakar Ba'asyir—hafidzahullah. Scrutinizing the behaviour on the internet, those who condemn him are normally people who are anti-Jihad. If there are people who claimed to be sympathetic to Jihad by favoring a figure, but at the same time ruining the reputation of another figure, it should be suspected as an intelligence operation. An operation which had been used by the British when they destroyed the movement of Sheikh Ahmad Irfan (one of the Jama’ah of Jihad in the 1800’s) in India was by fanning the issue of Wahabbi amongst the Afghan tribes.

What cannot be forgotten is the strategy of "character assassination" suggested by the Rand Corporation. This anti-terror think-tank body ever recommended the tarnishing of the characters of Jihad figures, as one of the steps in muffling the actions of Jihad movement in Indonesia.