ABSTRACT
The journey of a Muslim to become a member of a radical Islamic group has been discussed and debated extensively. Given the relatively high cost of membership and the lack of benefits, it is even more intriguing why so many Indonesian Muslims decided to join HTI. Most members of HTI reported that they were not initially predisposed to the ideas of HTI. Nevertheless, many became members and adopted what I have defined as the Hizbi identity. This chapter focuses on the cognitive (micro) reasons for HTI’s Islamic identity. This chapter is an attempt to understand the transformation of a Muslim into a Hizbiyyin and the reasons for this transformation. The chapter discusses the high rate of membership retention that HTI seems to enjoy. It argues that behavioural, affective and cognitive changes which members undergo upon adopting HTI’s Islamic identity is the main factors behind the high rate of retention that the party enjoys. The creation of this identity lies in the processes of cognitive opening, religious-seeking, framing and culturing that individuals undergo before becoming a member. The sense of collective identity in turn leads these individuals to become attached to the party’s ideology. There are three sections to this chapter. The first section draws out identity theories as discussed by Quintan Wiktorowicz in his study of the Al-Muhajiroun movement in the United Kingdom. The second section discusses the experiences of HTI members in their journey towards becoming members within the framework of the three processes described by Wiktorowicz. The final section discusses the expression of this identity through the process of boundary marking after members have undergone behavioural, affective and cognitive changes.
