HTI EXPLOITS THE GAZA NARRATIVE
Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip has become a focal point for Islamist narratives, both in the Middle East and beyond. Various radical groups, like Yemen's Houthis, have cited the conflict to justify their ongoing violent activities, while others have used it to stoke extremist sentiment. That has been the case in Indonesia, where the local branch of grassroots Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir has sought to use it to draw adherents to its cause. Thus, in mid-February, the group orchestrated large-scale demonstrations in cities across the country. The rallies, which took place in West and Central Java, "were not isolated incidents but part of a broader strategy" on the part of Hizb ut Tahrir Indonesia, or HTI, notes Muhammad Makmun Rasyid of the Indonesian Council of Ulama.
Writing in The Diplomat, Rasyid notes that the HTI strategy is selective – and opportunistic: "In many places, HT has responded to the Gaza conflict by intensifying anti-Israel protests, while simultaneously decrying the failures of the current international order and calling for military intervention in Gaza by Muslim-majority countries… Yet, HTI's claim to be a defender of Islam contradicts political reality, which is that the group selectively uses the Palestine issue as a propaganda tool while showing little concern for other persecuted Muslim communities, such as the Kurds, Darfuris, Yemenis, and Rohingya."
Nevertheless, the phenomenon is both significant and alarming. "HTI's exploitation of the Gaza war has now given it a new issue with which to generate support and shape public opinion," Rasyid concludes. And while the group is officially banned in Indonesia, "HTI remains active in the digital space, using online platforms to spread propaganda and recruit new followers." (The Diplomat, February 17, 2025)
BANGLADESH'S TURMOIL: AN OPENING FOR ISLAMISTS?
In the South Asian nation of Bangladesh, rising Islamist sentiment is reshaping society and changing social mores. The political impact of Islamist agitation was visible in mid-February, when a women's soccer tournament was canceled following a protest by the Islami Andolan Bangladesh group. Worries over potential violence led local authorities to cancel the event amid ongoing political volatility following last year's ouster of long-serving autocratic leader Sheikh Hasina. In this environment, Islamist forces have flourished – and their increasingly draconian demands have cast a chilling effect on public events.
Moreover, more is likely to be in store. According to Maulana Ashraf Ali, a local leader of Islami Andolan Bangladesh in Rangpur, the group "definitely" is seeking the imposition of hardline Sharia law nationwide. For its part, Dhaka's interim government vehemently denies pandering to Islamists, but observers say official decisions are showing growing deference to Islamist sensibilities and demands. (BBC, February 18, 2025)
MOROCCO IN THE ISIS CROSSHAIRS
Last month, Moroccan authorities successfully dismantled a major terrorist plot spanning multiple cities throughout the North African state. The planned attack, which was being orchestrated by the Islamic State in the Sahel, the Islamic State's North African franchise, reportedly involved cells in Laayoune, Casablanca, Fez, Taounate, Tangier, Azemmour, Jersif, Oulad Tayma, and the Rabat suburb of Tamsna. The security operation, which was carried out by the country's Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation, resulted in the arrest of twelve suspects who had planned to perpetrate a campaign that included "kidnapping and killing security personnel, targeting key economic and security sites, attacking foreign interests in Morocco, and committing acts of environmental terrorism, such as deliberately setting fires." (Ya Biladi, February 19, 2025)
"PAY TO SLAY" STAYS ALIVE
Since October 7, 2023, all eyes have been on Israel's conflict with Hamas, which continues to rage in the Gaza Strip. The ongoing confrontation, as well changing U.S. policy under the returning Trump administration in Washington, is leading the government of PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah to attempt to adapt, and style itself as a more moderate alternative to the Islamist movement. As part of that effort, on February 10th it announced an end to "pay to slay," the controversial policy of paying financial dividends to terrorists who carry out violence against Israel and their families.
This, however, has turned out to be more rhetoric than reality. According to Israeli security officials, the PA's announcement is "deception" and only "cosmetic." Rather, they told a recent Israeli cabinet meeting, the PA has only reduced such payments – and that reduction is the result not of a real policy shift, but rather of larger financial hardships being suffered by the PA, which are also being transferred onto "regular professionals." (Jerusalem Post, February 19, 2025)