Medan, Indonesia – On the last day of March, when 25-year-old college dropout Zakiah Aini walked into the Indonesian National Police Headquarters in Jakarta and brandished an air gun, it was initially widely reported, and perhaps it was believed that the perpetrator was a man. .

But in recent years, more and more Indonesian women have been involved in violent attacks across the archipelago, especially those trained by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria who have returned and established groups affiliated to the Islamic State (such as Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD)) )after that. ).

Judith Jacob, a terrorism and security analyst at the London School of Economics, told Al Jazeera: “ISIS has established a licensing structure that allows women to participate in more frontline roles.” “By encouraging opportunistic attacks and generally appealing to supporters. To the best of their ability, this provides women with easier access to participation than the previous command and control structure, which promotes a formal hierarchy that ultimately excludes women.”

Aini’s attack on the police headquarters eventually led to her being shot and killed by the police at the scene, the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Makassar, Sulawesi Attacked the week before Easter Caused by two suicide bombers who have been married for only seven months.

In 2018, A church in Surabaya, Java, was also attacked by a husband and wife and their four children, Another husband and wife team attacked a cathedral in Cholo, Philippines in 2019. At least 20 people were killed In that attack, dozens of people were injured.

It is believed that all the women involved in the attack were related to JAD, which is sometimes referred to as “ISIL in Southeast Asia.”

Jacob believes that it is important not to eliminate this attack, nor to speculate that the woman involved is simply obeying the man’s orders.

She told Al Jazeera: “Obviously, there are many aspects to doing this, but the first thing to get rid of is this terrible sexist notion that these women are tempted or forced to participate.” These women are actively willing to participate and have always been from Indonesia. An indispensable part of Islamic radicals. The difference now is that they have moved to a more active role or “frontline” role. “

Following Attack on the police headquarters, National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo (Listyo Sigit Prabowo) described Ai Ni as a “lone wolf”, although she wrote a short illustrated declaration in her letter to her parents and siblings , In which she criticized recognized “non-Islamic” institutions such as liberals.Election, banks and civil servants that do not conform to Islamic teachings, including former Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (commonly known as Ahok), Imprisoned for blasphemy in 2017.

Before the attack, she also posted the ISIL flag on Instagram and purchased the weapons she used from a man in Aceh who was convicted of terrorism.

Noor Huda Ismail (Noor Huda Ismail) is a former member of the hardline organization Daru Islam, who has since established the International Peace Building Institute and has carried out anti-radicalization programs and workshops throughout Indonesia .

He said: “Historically, in Indonesia, women have played a more supportive role. Even if they are members of a terrorist family, they have not directly participated in terrorist activities.”

“There is no reason to involve women in terrorism, but they are mostly driven by very personal and emotional reasons.”

He added that this could include issues such as revenge, redemption, or relationship factors such as the prospect of finding a partner while traveling in Syria.

“Radiation is not gender-neutral. Men and women have different experiences. We need to treat gender as a social construction, not a biology. For example, men’s inherent violent ideas and women’s inherent peace ideas.”

However, he warned that research on gender among hard-line people is still in its infancy.

“More research is needed to determine the drivers of women’s participation in violence. The government must work closely with civil society and the private sector to intervene online and offline.”

Even within radical groups, there seems to be some controversy over the role of women.

Signs of despair?

A former male member of JAD had a conversation with Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity. He said that in ISIL circles, allowing women to participate in attacks on political parties regarded as enemies is a “permissible” decision. It usually depends on the team that plans to carry out this type of attack. “

The JAD group he belongs to “does not want to involve women in frontline attacks, while the JAD group in Surabaya has women as part of its 2018 church bomb attack strategy.”

After the attack outside the Pentecostal church in the center of Surabaya in May 2018, the dog guards inspected the scene and at least 9 people were killed. [File: Juni Kriswanto/AFP]

He added that in addition to the psychological impact of such attacks on the public, female attackers are also used as propaganda tools.

He said: “The ISIS circle allows women to participate in frontline attacks and is used to boost morale.” “The idea is to spread stories like this: Even women dare to sacrifice their lives, what about men?”

However, there may be many ordinary and practical reasons why women play an active role.

“We have seen ISIS call more clearly for women to participate in the jihad against the enemy in 2017. You can see that this is not a feminist breakthrough for ISIS, but given that they have a firm foothold and need to be mobilized, this is a The greater need is that all sectors of the so-called Caliph will survive.” Jacob said.

Since the beginning of this year, Indonesia’s main counter-terrorism agency Densus 88 has conducted dozens of raids throughout Indonesia and arrested more than 100 suspects, including the former Secretary-General of Indonesia, Munarman. Prohibition of the Hardline Organization of the Front of the Defenders of Islam (FPI) and three other senior FPI officials were held in April and May.

Since the bombing in Makassar and the Jakarta attack in March, local authorities have also strengthened the security of the entire archipelago due to speculation that since Ai Ni is a female, she has easier access to the national police headquarters.

Jacob said: “The ISIS call is at a good time to open, and the security forces are slow to plan and participate in the potential of women in attacks.”

“In the Indonesian context, after years of police repression and surveillance, this information has attracted those who communicate with those whose networks have been greatly weakened.”