Salafis, Jihad, & Drama

Abstract

Jihad is often perceived as an expression of religious fanaticism and is mostly associated with the outrageous act of irrational, insane individuals inspired by their firm belief in radical religious doctrines. Although there is some plausibility in this perception, it fails to uncover the deeper meaning of jihad. Jihad is also a language of protest that can be used by marginalized individuals to construct their identity and thereby their position in the public sphere. For them, jihad is a message conveyed to display attempts to transform and empower their marginalization and break out of their own sense of frustration. Through its public display of violence the Indonesian Salafi movement, Laskar Jihad, illustrates this particular use of jihad.