Creator: Rizky Alif Alvian, Universitas Gadjah Mada
As the specter of local weather change intensifies in Indonesia, radical activists are weaponising the local weather disaster to realize assist for his or her trigger. The previous activists of pan-Islamist group Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) have devised a local weather narrative that legitimises the worldwide caliphate — a transnational state ruled by Sharia Regulation — as an alternative choice to the worldwide state system. Indonesia’s state and civil society might want to alter their counternarrative methods to fight additional climate-related radical narratives.
The Indonesian authorities disbanded HTI in 2017 for opposing the state ideology of non secular pluralism. The choice, which follows a worrying development of rising autocracy within the area, was criticised by activists as dangerous to democracy and human rights. The previous HTI activists managed to proceed their actions by dissociating their publications from the HTI model and key organisational figures. They use a number of channels, together with the month-to-month journal Al-Waie, to unfold the view that Muslims are obliged to determine a worldwide caliphate.
The local weather disaster has been regularly included into the activists’ propaganda. This growth is attribute of HTI’s apply of focusing on younger, educated Indonesians. The vast majority of Indonesian youths take into account local weather change to be a vital drawback, so devising a local weather disaster narrative is an efficient technique for bettering the ideological enchantment of HTI.
By intently studying Al-Waie publications, 4 local weather change narratives emerge. The activists acknowledge that local weather change is actual. They argue that the local weather has been affected by uncontrolled carbon emissions brought on by in depth industrialisation, deforestation and using fossil fuels. They particularly affirm that local weather change is chargeable for the rising sea ranges threatening Jakarta.
The activists keep that the secular capitalist ideology of the West permits local weather change. This human-centric ideology is seen to stress commerce liberalisation and globalisation, animating capitalism. Capitalism justifies the buildup of revenue on the expense of environmental degradation. The extreme use of fossil fuels is a convincing instance to would-be recruits as a result of, regardless of contributing to local weather change, they continue to be widespread because the worldwide financial system prioritises revenue.
The activists argue that the combat towards local weather change shall be unsuccessful as long as secular capitalism persists. If worldwide establishments are left unchallenged, they are going to be hijacked by capitalist pursuits to facilitate the extra worthwhile and efficient exploitation of nature.
The worldwide caliphate is superior as an alternative choice to the present fashion of state governance. It claims to enhance on the secular capitalism that places people on the ‘centre of every part’. Consistent with the Islamic idea of rahmatan lil alamin (giving mercy to all creatures), supporters declare the caliphate would protect nature from the greed of particular person pursuits. To attain this, Muslims are inspired to combat for the institution of a worldwide caliphate and resist those that are hostile to the idea — particularly Western governments.
Local weather change amplifies the specter of spiritual radicalism in Indonesia. Former HTI activists exploit grievances brought on or aggravated by local weather change to delegitimise the present modes of political and financial organisation. Rising sea ranges, deforestation and the rise in international temperature are used to exhibit the failure of the prevailing local weather mitigation regime. Members consider that the worldwide caliphate will protect the way forward for the earth, justifying public assist for the trigger.
Efforts to counter these narratives must turn into extra refined. In Indonesia, dominant state-sponsored counternarratives are ill-equipped to deal with radical climate-related narratives. To weaken the enchantment of radical actions, counternarratives spun by the authorities are inclined to label them as unpatriotic or as misinterpreting the teachings of Islam. However these counternarratives are comparatively silent on the difficulty of local weather change.
The state and civil society must collaborate to develop counternarratives that may defuse the enchantment of radical climate-related narratives. That is particularly essential forward of Indonesia’s 2024 elections. The local weather disaster is reputable political discourse, so these counternarratives needn’t completely negate HTI’s narrative — solely discredit the connection between the caliphate and local weather mitigation.
They need to as a substitute give attention to weakening claims that legitimise changing the worldwide state system with the caliphate. To take action, two essential claims have to be debunked. They’re that ‘secular’ capitalism is solely chargeable for local weather change and that stopping the local weather disaster requires the worldwide caliphate.
Reasonable Muslim organisations akin to Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah have made steps in the best route. On the July 2022 Islamic Congress for a Sustainable Indonesia, these organisations signed a declaration pushing for Muslims to have a better position in addressing the local weather disaster. The declaration calls for that Islamic establishments, akin to mosques and Islamic boarding colleges, contribute to the preservation of nature. It is a helpful initiative that reveals how Islam will help tackle local weather change with out resorting to excessive measures.
Muslims have already got the ability to have an effect on significant environmental change. By capitalising on this concept, the state and civil society can undermine radical climate-related narratives in Indonesia.
Rizky Alif Alvian is a lecturer within the Division of Worldwide Relations, Gadjah Mada College.
