March 30, 2026 | 10:01 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The morning sun had not yet turned scorching when former members of Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) sat in a circle inside a house in a narrow alley in the Ciputat area of South Tangerang, Banten. They call it Rumah Wasathiyah. Since June 2025, the old building with vintage ornaments has been transformed into a gathering place for religious learning for former sympathizers of the organization behind a series of bombings in Indonesia.
Several key figures were present. Among them were former JI Amir (chair) Para Wijayanto and his predecessor, Zarkasih. Wiji Joko, who once handled JI’s foreign relations division, was also there, along with several members from areas around Jakarta. A number of plainclothes officers from the National Police’s Special Detachment 88 counterterrorism unit (Densus 88) also joined the gathering.
The former JI members had gathered that day to attend a religious study session with several teachers. In recent months, they have regularly held discussions to learn about wasathiyah, which means the middle path or moderate Islam. “This is also our first fast-breaking gathering here,” Para Wijayanto said when speaking with Tempo at Rumah Wasathiyah on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
Toward noon, some of them headed to the Postgraduate Building of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta, just 500 meters away. There, Para and several former JI leaders met J.M. Muslimin, Head of the Doctoral Program in Islamic Studies at the university’s Graduate School.
The meeting was relaxed, even though they discussed a pressing issue: transforming ideology through curriculum changes in hundreds of Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) affiliated with JI. The former JI leaders also used the occasion to ask the professor of Islamic legal politics to remain involved in the reform effort.
Thousands of Former Terrorist Convicts, Jamaah Islamiyah Members to Join Food Brigade
3 Januari 2025
Convicted terrorists and 8,140 former Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) members to participate in the government's Food Brigade.
Today's Top 3 News: Jamaah Islamiyah Dissolution, Thousands of Ex-Members Declare to Return to the Indonesian Republic
22 Desember 2024
Tempo English compiled the top 3 news on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Dissolution of Jamaah Islamiyah in Solo, Thousands of Ex-Members Declare to Return to the Indonesian Republic
22 Desember 2024
A total of 1,200 former Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) declared the dissolution of the organization & to return to the Republic of Indonesia.
Greg Barton Warns of Splinter Groups Following Terrorist Group Jamaah Islamiyah Disbandment
3 September 2024
Professor of Global Islamic Politics Greg Barton comments on the declaration of disbandment by terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah at end of June.
What Next After the Dissolution of Jamaah Islamiyah
25 Juli 2024
The dissolution of Jamaah Islamiyah does not mean the terrorist threat disappears. We must remain vigilant.
Militant Group Jamaah Islamiyah to Be Disbanded, Say Its Senior Leaders
4 Juli 2024
Senior members of Jamaah Islamiyah announced they are disbanding the group, according to a report by a Jakarta-based think tank on Thursday
Police Densus 88 Nab 59 Suspected Terrorists Allegedly Plan to Derail Election
31 Oktober 2023
The National Police's anti-terror squad Densus 88 arrested 59 suspected terrorists in several regions throughout October 2023.
Densus 88 Arrests Terrorist Suspect in Magetan with Links to Jamaah Islamiyah, Dulmatin
2 Agustus 2022
The Indonesian Police's special counterterrorism squad, Densus 88, arrests a suspected terrorist in Magetan, East Java.
Densus 88 Chief: We Want to Treat Terrorists as Victims
21 Maret 2022
Densus 88 Chief Insp. Gen. Marthinus Hukom said he wanted to take a more lenient approach to terrorists.
Densus 88 Arrests Civil Servant Suspected as Terrorist in Tangerang
15 Maret 2022
The National Police's Special Anti-Terror Detachment 88 (Densus 88) arrested a terrorist suspect who is identified as TO in Tangerang, Banten.
