Fajar Nusantara Movement (GAFATAR): What Government Needs to Do After the Evacuation from 'Holy Land' - Mempawah

In the past month, the people of Indonesia were being shocked by media coverage with reports that revealed the number of people who went missing in several regions in the country. Those people are suspected joined with Gerakan Fajar Nusantara (Fajar Nusantara Movement) famously known as GAFATAR. The reports about this issue are so massive that make people get curious about GAFATAR’s track record.

In this article, I will try to assess GAFATAR’s background, ideology, and activities. In addition, I will give inputs to the government in order to handle this classic phenomenon – according to my perspective.

GAFATAR is a Civil Society Organization (CSO), which was established on August 14, 2011 and declared for the first time in JIEXPO Kemayoran Jakarta on January 21, 2012. The development of Gafatar was quickly enough because in December 2013, Gafatar claimed to already have representatives called Regional Leadership  Council (DPD) in all provinces throughout Indonesia.

Nevertheless, the existence of GAFATAR has been widely neglected by public since being considered as a “deviant” organization, the incarnation of Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah which then changed its name to the Community Millah Abraham (Komar) that had been led by Ahmad Mushadeq.

Mushadeq, currently living in Depok, West Java, had been locked up for 4 years in 2008, on the article of religion blasphemy.  It is worth noting that Ahmad Musadeq comes from Al-Zaytun Islamic boarding school, which has ever been linked to a banned Islamic movement, Islamic State of Indonesia (NII) KW-9.

After being declared as heretical and forbidden organization, Ahmad Musadeq who posted out of custody in 2011, changed the name of Komar to GAFATAR by enthroning his student Mahful M. Tumanurung as the chairman. With this new name, they managed to deceive the government to enable it to carry out social activities in various regions across Indonesia.

GAFATAR in essence still follows the teaching coming from Ahmad Musadeq, i.e syncretism or merging three religions; Islam, Christianity and Judaism. By adopting the concept of NII KW-9, Mushadeq aspires to establish an independent country that he called "Negara Karunia Tuhan Semesta Alam" (NKTSA=State Gifted From the Lord of the Universe). The gathering of thousands of Gafatar’s followers in West Kalimantan is part of the concept of "Hijrah Akbar" (massive migration) towards the establishment of NKSA.

Most of Gafatar’s administrators are the former members of Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah. Muis Mahful Tumanurung is one of the pledged who became the follower of Ahmad Mushadeq as Almasih Almawud in the teachings of Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah and became leader of Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah Makassar, South Sulawesi. Similarly, Yudishthira Arif Rahman Hakim (Chairman Gafatar Yogyakarta) is also a follower of Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiya, while some other followers became caretaker in Gafatar’s Central Leadership Council (DPP), such as Rev. Sandjaya (Vice-Chairman of the DPP Gafatar), Berny Satria (Secretary General) and Muchtar Asni (Treasurer).

GAFATAR was suspended by the Minister of Internal Affairs in November 2012. However, several parties undertook a judicial review of the Law No. 17 Year 2013 on Civil Society Organizations, which resulted in a decision to preserve the freedom of establishment of CSOs like GAFATAR. According to that Constitutional Court's decision, GAFATAR continues its activities and keeps expanding its movement.

“Attractions” of GAFATAR for People to Join

GAFATAR claims that its focus is on social and cultural fields, with the vision of “the realization of the peaceful, civilized, fair, and dignified life of community, state and nation under the auspices of Almighty God through the union of the noble values of the nation, improving the quality of science and intellect, as well as understanding and practicing universal values in order to be a mercy to the worlds”.

However, there is an issue being "sold" by Gafatar in order to attract people as well as at the same time to trick the government from a ban --  Food Resilience program. They held a national meeting and socialization themed "Gafatar is Victorious; GAFATAR to Serve the Country in Order to Bring Peace in the Name of God Almighty through Enhancing Food Sovereignty Program 2015”.

Regarding recruitment, GAFATAR has a special method to recruit its followers. Highly educated people who are interested in religion but lack of basic knowledge are this organization's top priority. They are offered an “easy to do” concept in practicing religion or faith, such as not obliged to pray 5 times a day, fasting Ramadan as well as no obligation to perform Hajj (pilgrimage).

GAFATAR’s financial strength allegedly comes from this upper middle class group, whose GAFATAR managed to recruit. Even the figure such as Bibit Samad Rianto (former KPK leader) was once registered as a member and board of GAFATAR, whose position was the Board of Trustees. Bibit at the end, however, realized the Gafatar’s deviations, thus he decided to quit declared no longer associated with the organization.

The banning of GAFATAR that had been authorized by the Ministry of Domestic Affairs in 2012 did not necessarily eliminate and stop the organization from carrying out its activities. On the contrary, GAFATAR continues to exist in the community through various programs that are packaged in the form of social and agricultural works. Supposedly, the discharge prohibition to GAFATAR would automatically revoke its Registration Certificate (SKT) from all provinces in Indonesia. This can be seen as indication that Gafatar has successfully infiltrated into the regional government to influence and “embrace” the decision makers.

Resistance Against GAFATAR

Why has GAFATAR widely been neglected in recent time? One of reasons is its deviant doctrine which is assessed degrading Islam’s concept. In addition, it is also related to the rampant cases of people that, according to their relatives' reports,  went missing after allegedly being recruited by GAFATAR and migrating to the West Kalimantan. The disappearance of Doctor Rica Tri Handayani and her baby boy at the end of 2015 in Jogjakarta is one of the cases that has been shown up GAFATAR's involvement.

The resistance over GAFATAR existence is quite hard in Aceh. On April 7th, 2014, six members of Gafatar were being charged of blasphemy against Islam by the Banda Aceh District Court. They could face five years in prison. Meanwhile, the forced dissolution over Gafatar activities was obvious in some regions. Gafatar declaration in Solo, for example, was dissolved by one of the Islamic organization in the city. Similarly, in Bali, Gianyar’s municipal police district dissolving a seminar conducted by Gafatar. While in West Kalimantan in mid January 2016, hundreds of people attacked Gafatar’s followers in District of Mempawah Hilir and Mempawah Timur in Mempawah Regency.

MUI is now intensively working on a deep study and research related to the fatwa (Islamic Judgment) on Gafatar. Once the fatwa from MUI released, it is expected to become a reference for the government to issue a prohibition for Gafatar immediately.

According to Tim Pakem Pusat (Monitoring team on religious sects), a  SKB 3 Menteri (a three-minister joint decree), which contains a prohibition on the presence and any kind of activities to Gafatar, will soon be formulated. Violations to the regulations will be charged with criminal under Law No.1 / the 1965 About Prevention of Abuse and / or blasphemy. Strategic Policies Needed Despite its position which seemly comes to an end, GAFATAR especially its founder Ahmad Mushadeq and other leaders such as Mifta Tumanurung, I believe, will hardly try their efforts to obtain a legal standing as well as continue to gain legitimacy from the society.

Otherwise, they would “hibernate” to hide from the public attention which now is going on before then reforming and being reborn just like the incarnation of Al Qiyadah al Islamiyah to Komar and now GAFATAR. Therefore, the government needs to formulate a strategic policy in order to overcome the growing of GAFATAR and its potential reborn/reform in the future.

The government needs to immediately issue a legal status for Gafatar, whether to forbid the organization because it harms one particular religion (Islam), or to only prohibit its activities. Additionally, national-level Islamic organizations, such as Muhammadiyah and the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), need to release a statement of rejection over Gafatar.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Internal Affairs must revoke Registration Certificate of Gafatar in all regions in Indonesia. On the other hand, the whole local stakeholders such as local government, FKDM and FKUB must take concrete steps in line with the central government related to Gafatar's presence. While at the same time, the Government must ensure the safety of former members of the GAFATAR since the angry mob burned down their village in Mempawah District, West Kalimantan, recently.

The next important thing is the handling of the former GAFATAR’s members/followers. According to the latest information, more than 3,500 ex-followers of GAFATAR have been sent back homes from the so-called “holy land” at Mempawah, West Kalimantan.

Whereas, not less than 1,500 others are still waiting in temporary shelters in several areas in West Kalimantan. They are ready for getting repatriated to their respective areas including East Java, Central Java, Jakarta, Banten, West Java, and Lampung. Hundreds of them, however, refuse to return to their homes because they are afraid of being excommunicated.

 
In this regard, the Government's measure to immediately giving instruction to each local government in funding the ex members of GAFATAR is considered quite well though it still needs to be monitored intensively by  the central government.

On the other hand, another important thing to do is the rehabilitation and development of a comprehensive review of ex GAFATAR - both personal and group - by involving all relevant stakeholders. Handling the personal guidance is done through education and the termination of the chain to GAFATAR's ideology and doctrine while handling the group can be done through coaching and charity. Last but not least, the role of Islamic organizations in particular the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to provide guidance to whole ex-GAFATAR followers is important to prevent them from spreading their perverted beliefs, and help them return to the right path.

*). International Relations Postgraduate Student at University of Indonesia.