BNPT said there are similarities between NII, HTI and Khilafatul Muslimin; both want to establish an Islamic state based on the Khilafah.
The Head of the Public Relations Division of the National Police Headquarters, Inspector General Dedi Prasetyo, stated that the Metro Jaya Police arrested the leader of Khilafatul Muslimin Abdul Qadir Baraja in Lampung. Polda Metro Jaya arrested the 79-year-old man in connection with a motorcycle convoy in East Jakarta at the end of last May.
"They (Khilafatul Muslimin) have a network connection, the center is in Lampung. The perpetrators in Lampung have committed several crimes against terrorism, most recently a violation of health protocols when PPKM was implemented," said Dedi at the National Police Headquarters, Tuesday, June 7, 2022.
The convoy came into the spotlight after its members distributed leaflets calling for the establishment of the Khilafah. They also walked around wearing green clothes and carrying flags bearing the words of monotheism.
The name Abdul Qadir Baraja alias Hasan Baraja is said to have been attached to terrorist groups since the 1970s. He is cited as one of the founders of the Indonesian Islamic State (NII) in Lampung.
He is also said to have been a member of the Darul Islam/Indonesian Islamic Army led by Sekarmadji Maridjan Kartosoewirjo. DI TII is an army formed and part of NII.
After Kartosoewirjo was caught and executed in 1962, Hasan Baraja joined the Komando Jihad group which was involved in acts of terror in various areas including the hijacking of the Garuda Indonesia plane on March 28, 1981.
At Komando Jihad, Baraja was involved in the Warman group under Adah Jaelani's group. They are tasked with raising funds through terror in Lampung.
Baraja was then sentenced to 3 years in prison for a terror case in 1979. Not long after he was released from prison, he was then arrested again by the police in early 1985 because he was considered involved in the suicide bombings in East Java and Borobudur. In this case, Baraja was found guilty and sentenced to 13 years in prison.
After being released from prison in 1997, Baraja founded Khilafatul Muslimin in Lampung. Director of Prevention of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) Brigadier General Ahmad Nurwakhid, stated that there are similarities between NII, Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) and Khilafatul Muslimin. They are said to share the goal of establishing an Islamic state based on the Khilafah.
"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," said Nurwakhid. (antara, tempo)
