ABSTRACT
The emergence of HT in Indonesia was a miracle for many HT leaders. In his writings, An-Nabhani did not show any understanding of Islam and Muslims in Southeast Asia; he was solely interested in an Arab caliphate. For HT leaders, Southeast Asian Muslims are on the periphery of the Muslim world and are thus not important in its larger agenda to revive the caliphate. Party members residing in Western countries initiated the growth of HT beyond the Middle East. In Indonesia, the spread of the party was the result of an individual, Abdul Rahman Al-Baghdadi, a member of HT from Australia. The transitioning of HTI from a campus-based student movement to one of the more prominent radical Islamist groups in Indonesia will be explored in this chapter. The argument that the founding and initial growth of HTI was the effort of an individual rather than that of the transnational HT leadership will also be examined. It is necessary to take into consideration that it was not until the mid-1990s that the party began to show interest in Indonesia. Furthermore, it was only as recently as 2003 when Ata Abu Rashta took over the helm of party leadership that the party began viewing the Indonesian chapter as a more important component of the party. There are three sections in this chapter. The role played by Abdul Rahman Al-Baghdadi in sowing the seeds of HT in Indonesia will be examined in the first section. This section will highlight how Al-Baghdadi used an Islamic boarding school (pesantren) run by a prominent ulama in Bogor, Abdullah Bin Nuh, as the main base for his activism. Al-Baghdadi’s activities among students in the Institute Pertanian Bogor (Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB)) will also be highlighted. The period during which HTI came officially under the control of the larger HT leadership will be analysed in the second section. Several important developments, including the decision of the party to abandon its activities on campus so as to 48focus on the recruitment of young Muslim professionals, the decision of Al-Baghdadi to leave the party and changes in its leadership, will also be examined. Developments within HTI since 2003 when a new HT Amir was appointed will be studied in the final section, which will also examine the changing attitudes of the larger HT leadership towards its Indonesian chapter and the impact of this change.
