Indonesian Muslim Women: Jihad, Radicalism, Terrorism

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the understanding of Indonesian Muslim women regarding jihad, radicalism, and terrorism. The study found that women have an understanding that terrorism is all forms of adverse action, carried out in a structured and grouped manner. They understand that all forms of terrorism activities usually have goals to be achieved and are based on religious or ideological understandings that are considered correct according to terrorist groups. Muslim women try to minimize this Islamophobia through improving understanding for themselves, their family, and community. The involvement of Muslim women in supporting counter-terrorism can be one of the strategies to create an atmosphere of peace in the community. Muslim women realize that the perpetrators of acts of terror in carrying out their actions sometimes act in the name of religion, even though there is no religion, including Islam, that legalizes the killing of fellow human beings and actions that cause damage to the environment. Therefore, one way to counter-terrorism according to Muslim women is by improving the mindset starting from themselves and their family. A person's actions originate from the mindset, which is why the mindset must be fixed first, before preventing the doctrines of misguided notions.