The Concept of Jihad and Women’s Involvement in Terrorism: (A Case Study of Dian Yulia Novi)

In this study, the researchers conducted a study of Dian Yulia Novi, an Indonesian woman who intended to carry out a suicide bombing at the State Palace on December 11, 2016 under the pretext of performing jihad. The objectives of this study are (1) to explain the process of learning about the concept of jihad which according to Dian Yulia Novi supports the involvement of women in terrorism and (2) to analyze the techniques used to rationalize Dian Yulia Novi's involvement in terrorism through the concept of jihad. This study used a qualitative approach by employing a single instrumental case study and applied the neutralization theory of Matza and Sykes. The results of this study indicate that Dian Yulia Novi learned about the concept of jihad with the help of the Internet. The Internet provided Dian Yulia Novi with access to social media and websites that offer content on terrorism. This study also shows that Novi used four neutralization techniques to rationalize her involvement in terrorism, namely (1) denial of responsibility; (2) denial of victimization; (3) condemnation of the condemners; and (4) an appeal to higher loyalties.