Islamic Terrorism in Sea

...

Thirdly, the characteristic of Islamic terrorism is a sense of economic deprivation sensed by most Muslims in Southeast Asia. The economic boom in that region that was lasting from the 1970s till the late 1990s brought about extraordinary wealth to the region. For instance in poverty is Indonesia declined from 60% in 1970 and 11% in 1996 whereas in Malaysia between 1970 and 1990, it declined from 18% to 2% (Almonte, 2003). However, this wealth alongside urbanization, westernization and modernism formed some sort of alienation as opposed to traditional values which caused a lot of Muslims to draw back into the mosques and reconnect with their roots. Moreover, the collapse of the Southeast Asian economy in 1997 brought even more individuals back to the mosque. Savings as well as investment accounts were gone and millions of individuals were unemployed in a matter of an overnight. This resulted some Muslims to blame their government, the secular modernism in general for their woes as well as the West. On top of that, decreasing budgets from the government brought up by the crisis resulted into the hurting of funds for education leading Muslims to look for cheaper alternatives such as the madrassas that provides free or subsidized education along with providing students with discipline and the infusion of Islamic values (Abuza, 2003). The fourth characteristic of Islamic terrorism is the enhanced sense of humiliation sensed by Muslims. In regard to this, the increased Muslim consciousness is due to the knowledge of knowing that Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and most significantly Palestine suffer under continuous war waged by what they call Zionists and Crusaders (Abuza, 2003). Al-Jazeera and other Islamic online pages are media outlets that shape the world’s perspective towards the West and America being at war with Islam. The United States is perceived as a bully and a partner in assisting with the destroying of the religion rather than a victim of senseless terror.

Next, the final characteristic of Islamic terrorism in Southeast Asia was supported by previous authoritarian regimes where for example military supported governments Marcos in the Philippines, Suharto in Indonesia and the military regimes in Thailand for being known for the past three decades to practice arbitrary arrests, persecution and violence against opponents. The fundamentalists of Islam were usually prohibited and suppressed political activities. This political oppression cause the radicalization of many regime opponents for instance Abu Bakar Bashir of Indonesia. This issue has also strengthened the influence and strength of the clergy because the only place acceptable for social outlets for Muslims was the mosque. It also sparked anger towards the United States, a country who supported democracy while backing the governments that oppressed them (Nathan, 2003).

The Moro National Liberation Front(MNLF) of Philippines was developed in 1969 was driven by founder Nur Misuari, inspired to form an independent state in the southern Philippines comprised of Muslims where the state is administered by shariah. Subsidized and prepared by wealthy and thoughtful nations, for example, Libya, the MNLF pursued an astringent war against the Philippine army, resulting 500,000 homeless and causing 100,000 deaths. Confronting an increased loss of life, the administration gone into arrangements with the renegades. The final outcome was the Tripoli Agreement in 1976, in which Misuari acknowledged restricted independence for thirteen of Mindanao's twenty one regions, however not by and large independence. This war that was mentioned continued to proceed for an additional quarter century, a delicate agreement was come to. However, breakaway groups kept on asserting duty regarding assaults under their name. In the year 2001, former MNLF leader Misuari led one of these fractions into attacking an army base that resulted in over 100 deaths (MIPT, 2005).

A different breakaway group from the ceasefire would be the Moro Islamic Liberal Front. Rankled that Moro National Liberation Front pioneers had "sold out" Moro desires of a different Muslim country in return for reconciliation and political posts, Hashim Selemat established the Moro Islamic Liberal Front in the 1980s. In 1986, they waged a war drawing in armed forces in little scale conflicts along with bomb assaults on the government and businesses. Throughout the years in 1990s, it was the biggest terrorist organization, and currently is in charge of extensive swaths of seven known areas in Mindanao with an asserted quality of more than 120,000 militants. Similar to the MNLF, the Moro Islamic Liberal Front achieved a harmony accord agreement with the Philippine administration in 2001. Though, the Philippine administration along with the MILF every now and again battle in Mindanao and the terrorists regularly react to these clashes by directing terror assaults, for example, the assault at the Davao airport in March 2003 (MIPT, 2005). The administration's hope to maintain the peace with the MILF has kept the group off the United States and the United Nation's arrangements of terrorist groups internationally, in spite of having maybe the most grounded connections to provincial and worldwide jihadist groups in the Philippines.

Like the MILF the Abu Sayyaf Group was brought forth by shock over the Moro National Liberal Front's understanding with the Philippine administration. In 1991 the Abu Sayyaf Group was founded by brothers Abu Bakar Janjalani and Abdurajak Janjalani contradicted any settlement with either the administration or Christians in the region and risen as a small but very brutal terrorist organization. They completed endless kidnappings, bombings and guerrilla assaults against regular citizens and government officials. They are additionally equipped for striking past its fortifications in Baslilan Island and Sulu,including shelling focuses in Manila. Following the murder of Abdurajak Janjalani in a battle with the Philippine Army in 1998, his sibling assumed control of the association. The assemble along these lines declined into an abduct for-payoff criminal association, and accomplished reputation through the capture of aid workers and tourists, including three US Americans. Martin Burnham, a citizen of the United States was killed in a mission by Philippine armies attempting for his rescue in July 2002 (MIPT, 2005). Furthermore, with approximately 500 militants, they remain one of the greatest dynamic brutal terrorist group in Philippines, leading bombings also, attempt at manslaughter assaults all the time. After these assaults, ASG militants regularly look for asylum in MILF-held zones, realizing that the military is hesitant to seek after them due to the delicate truce agreement (Tan, 2005).

The Jemaah Islamiah network,

...