Inclusive Religious Education Needed to Suppress Radicalism

Jakarta, UIN NEWS Online - The government is encouraged to develop an open, tolerant, and inclusive religious education in order to suppress radicalism as well as to encourage respect for religious diversity in Indonesia. On the educational side that transforms respectful attitudes, the government needs to increase the opportunity for educator’s training in national, Islamic, and knowledge about Indonesian Values.

Similarly, some of the recommendations of the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) UIN Jakarta following the publication of the National Survey on Religious Attitudes at Schools and Universities in Indonesia 2017 presented in Jakarta, Wednesday (11/08/2017). "Another recommendation is the need for the introduction of different religions and beliefs in Islamic Religious Education and the enrichment of religious experience practices and shared problem solving experiences," notes the recommendation as quoted by UIN NEWS Online.

Through a survey held in the period of September 1 to October 7, 2017 targeted students and teachers, PPIM UIN Jakarta found still a lump in their acceptance of the attitude of different religious realities. The survey was conducted in every regency / city in 34 provinces with total of 2,181 respondents where 1,522 students, 337 students, 264 teachers and 58 lecturers of Islamic education.

The survey noted, at the opinion level, that students tend to have an intolerant religious outlook. This is reflected in the spread between radical opinions, external tolerance, and students' internal tolerance. Of the three categories, the most intolerant students' religious views were found in radical opinions (58.5%), internal intolerance opinions (51.1%), and external opinion of intolerance (34.3%). In terms of action, students have moderate religious behavior which is included in the category of radical action only 7.0%.

Unlike the lecturers, at the opinion level they tend to have religious views that are tolerant or contrary to students' views. This is reflected in the spread of opinion of teachers and lecturers on the lower opinion of internal intolerance (33.9%), opinion of external intolerance (29.2%), and radical opinion (23.0%). While at the action level, teachers have a strong tendency to have intolerant behavior on internal tolerance action category (69.3%), 8.4% radical action category, and 24.2% external action tolerance category.

There are two types of religious relationships targeted by the research: Muslim relation with Non-Muslim and Majority Muslim Relation with Muslim Minority. In the first type of relation, both teachers-teachers and students can relatively accept the existence of other religions with the exception of Judaism.

In this relation, 83.85% of lecturers and 79.07% of students say Christians are not enemies of Muslims. Then, 66.15% of lecturers and 76.22% of students thought Christians did not hate Muslims. In fact, 64.60% of lecturers and 70.36% of students do not mind if people of different faiths provide assistance to Islamic institutions.

However, 57.76% of lecturers and 53.74% of students agree that Jews are enemies of Muslims. In fact, 63.66% of lecturers and 52.99% of students agree that Jews hate Islam.

In the second relation, Majority Muslim Relations with Muslim Minorities, teachers and students find it difficult to accept Muslims who follow Ahmadiyya and Shia teachings. Both groups are listed as disliked groups, disagreeing if the government protects, even agree if the government prohibits the existence of deviation from a minority group.

In this relation, student groups sequentially assigned Shiites (30.99%) and Ahmadiyah (19.72%) to two unwanted groups. On the contrary, the lecturers sequentially assigned Ahmadiyah (64.66%) and Shi'a (55.60%) to groups they did not like.

When asked whether the government should protect Shiites and Ahmadis, 44.72% of lecturers and 49.00% of students disagree if the government should protect the followers of both religious groups. In fact, 87.89% of lecturers and 86.55% of students agree if the government prohibits the existence of minority groups that are considered to deviate from the teachings of Islam.

Furthermore, lecturers (62.11%) and students (55.08%) agree with the opinion that Muslims are now in vulnerable state. In addition, lecturers (54.35%) and students (48.04%) see non-Muslims benefitting more than economically-related Muslims.

Religious education

Research notes that students and students feel that religious education has a large share in influencing them not to mix with other faiths. The details are that the portion of religious education on the influence of non-association with other religions is very large 25.77%, quite large 23.18%, slightly 21.30%, very little 6.67%, and not at all 23.08%.

Executive Director of PPIM UIN Jakarta Dr. Saiful Umam said, the learning model of Islamic religious education has the potential to form student radicalism. Similarly, the radical opinions of teachers and models of Islamic learning from teachers can influence student radicalism.

"That is, the teacher becomes an important factor in the formation of a person in the process of becoming intolerant and radical. This should be our common concern to improve the capacity and ability of teachers in learning, "he said.

Responding to the research, Director General of Islamic Education Ministry of Religious Affairs RI. Dr. Kamaruddin Amin MA affirms the need for serious efforts to ward off radicalism in education. The effort can be done by training teachers and supervisors in order to provide a moderate Islamic teaching.

Another effort is to establish a center for religious moderation studies in every existing Islamic college. "Center for religious moderation studies in order to anticipate the fact that there is a process of radicalism with intensity that is still varied," he said.

Although the intensity of radicalism in educational institutions somewhat varied, but Kamaruddin considered the effort to anticipate that the thought or teachings are said to be radical is not developed. He urged all parties to give more attention in anticipation.

Kamaruddin also asked the students, students, to study well and not to grasp the radical religious understanding. " To our children who are still searching their identities, we hope they really study diligently, do not let them become radical because of their superficial understanding," he hoped. (usa)