The Cairo-based Al-Azhar institution called the formation of the alliance against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) and other terrorist groups “historic.” “This was an urgent demand of the people of Islamic countries who have suffered more than others from this black terrorism,” it said. “Al-Azhar calls on all Islamic countries to join this coalition to counter terrorism.” While the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has 57 members, the Saudi-led coalition announced Tuesday currently boasts 34 Sunni nations. They include most of the Arab states – although Syria and Iraq are notable exceptions – Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and a handful of Islamic states in sub-Saharan Africa. Saudi Arabia’s regional archrival, Shi’ite Iran, is another prominent omission.
The announcement of the launch, released by the official SPA press agency, said, “More than 10 other Islamic countries have expressed their support for this alliance and will take the necessary measures in this regard, including Indonesia.” Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told reporters that those 10 other countries were keen to join the 34 already listed members and would do so after taking various “measures.” But the government of Indonesia, the world’s biggest Islamic state (and fourth most populous nation overall), disputed that. “Indonesia is not supporting the coalition, but instead supporting Saudi Arabia’s effort to combat terrorism and extremism,” the Jakarta Post quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir as saying.
He said Indonesia’s principle was to commit troops to international missions only under the U.N. flag. “We’re highly committed to combatting terrorism and extremism, however, we should assess the modalities first before joining any military alliance.” The statement released by the Saudi agency was clear that the initiative is primarily military in scope. “The countries whose names are listed in this statement have decided to form a military alliance to fight against terrorism led by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” it said. “A joint operations center shall be established in the city of Riyadh to coordinate and support military operations to fight terrorism and to develop the necessary programs and mechanisms for supporting these efforts.”
‘Not a Sunni coalition’