1)in each country there are many intersecting forces, and usually a long history

2)there is no "one size fits all" to explain recent developments, and so

3) it will result in dangerously shallow understanding and commensurate policies & approaches from other countries & NGOs if we allow this.

Indonesia and this story is a case in point. Saudi etc. money may well now be flowing into to promote Al-Qaeda -style terrorism, but there is a long history it is tapping into, and it is an enabler, not the cause (and there's not a single one of those either).

Indonesia is the third most populous nation in the world, stretching across a vast archipeligo of several thousand islands. Historically Asiatic people from SE and Northern Asia conquered these islands, bringing Islam with them, as well as Buddhism etc. These people (the Javanese) are ethnically very different from the many different groups that originally populated the islands, particularly the Melanesian and Polynesian groups. These groups also tend to be Christian rather than Muslim due to the work of Dutch missionaries etc. The Javanese dominate the western part of the archipelago, Melanesians and Polynesians are found in significant numbers to the east, particularly that Maluku (Moluccas) group. There are of course also other strong pockets of different groups, such as the Papuans of Irian Jaya and the Achinese. A final significant group are Chinese, who came and established themselves as traders, and still bear the brunt of racial tensions given their perceived wealth - rather like "Jewish Ursers" in Europe. And of course, the Javanese, as the dominant ethnic group with control of government, are generally far better off than the other ethnic groups.

So already we have at least three intersecting facets: ethnicity, with a strong link to religion, and a secondary tie to wealth.

Javanese domination of Indonesia has been reinforced with forcible migration programs; this has principally consisted of moving Javanese of the very crowded central islands, particularly Java, out to the minority-ethnically dominated islands, to 1) ease the population burden on key islands and 2) internally annex other islands with non-Javanese populations. This has been accompanied by strong outpostings of the military, and situations where regional governments - eg of the Maluku group - are entirely dominated by imported Javanese, with little or no 'native' representation. On top of this, the summary allocation of land and resources to those forcibly migrated has resulted in dramatic increases of pressure on natural resources, exaggerated societal inequities, and great tensions, with an inevitable explosion of violence.

So in sum - Muslim Javanese being forcibly migrated (and not happy about it), inserted into minority largely Christian populations, who are not happy about it, with a large, Javanese Muslim-dominated military presence.

The Maluku group exhibited this tragically post-1996, as forced migration increased markedly in the mid-1990s. Up until that point, the indigenous population was about 60% Christian, 40% Muslim, and there were mosques and churches side by side everywhere. It was overall a very harmonious community, despite having a 'foreign' Javanese government. Increased migration put tremendous pressure on resources, and resulted in an increased military presence which of course sided brutally with settlers. Tragically, it is believed that an argument between a group of Indigenous Muslims and Christians that finally sparked what was to be a blood-bath. The military silently cooperated, and Christians were driven into the hills and starved, murdered etc.

This is a story that has been repeated at various scales across the Indonesian archipelago for many years, without any 'terrorist' funding. What I think we are seeing now is international groups providing resources to further increase that level of conflict, particularly at a time when the Javanese dominance of Indonesia has been softening, and the government becoming more democratic. Hence efforts are being stepped up by extremists to stop this, as it is the largest Muslim nation on earth.

However, the root causes that this extremist funding is feeding on are not at all solely religious, and to focus on that element only will never result in a satisfactory resolution. There are long-term issues of ethnic inequities, whether certain distinct groups and their traditional islands belong in Indonesia and if so, in what form (eg the Achinese push for autonomy), wealth distribution, democratic representation, and severe population pressures.

"this just can't get more disturbing!" - Willow

• Laskar Jihad and the Conflict in Ambon
  By Kirsten E. Schulze - Int'l History London School of Economics - Spring 2002 (pdf file)
• Bali Bombings - Hambali Mastermind plus Abu Bakar Bashir, religious leader of madrasses.
  
• Hambali - Al Qaeda - Plot 911
  
• Jihad In The Netherlands - Radical Teachings and Saudi Funds » Hofstad Group Link

"Treason doth never prosper: what's the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason."

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