Muhammad , As’ad

IAIN Sunan Ampel Repository

Home Paper Edition Weekender Youthspeak Public Blog Study abroad Login  Register
News & Views Headlines National Archipelago Business Jakarta World Sports Opinion Readers' forum Site Map
Sunday, October 03, 2010 20:54 PM Follow us on     Search  GO
A  | A  | A  |
Deradicalization through ‘pesantren’
Muhammad As’ad, Surabaya | Sat, 10/02/2010 10:48 AM | Opinion
Indonesia is home to the largest Muslim community in the world and has a population of more than 200 million. This
number is far larger than what can be found in any country in the Middle East, where Islam was born.
As a Muslim dominanted country, Indonesia is also known by the mainstream view that people from other religions
can live peacefully and side by side with their Muslim counterparts. Many observers have confirmed this idea by
concluding that Indonesia is a very tolerant country.
However, in the last 10 years, and especially since the reformation era, the assumption that Indonesia is a country
full of tolerant Muslims seems misleading with the re-emergence of radical Islam.
Countless acts of violence have helped justify the view that Indonesia is a bastion of extremism.
The series of bomb attacks that have occurred almost every year from 2000 to 2005 hammered home that
Indonesia has changed.
The worst of these attacks took place in Bali on Oct. 12, 2002 , killing more than 200, most of whom were
Australian tourists.
After the second Bali bombing in 2005, it looked as though Indonesia had settled the issue of Islamic extremism.
However, the last J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton bombings in July 2009 and recent terrorist activity have proved
that terrorism in the name of Islam is a major problem within Indonesian Islam that must be solved.
Faced with the problem, many stakeholders have tried to find the best way to eradicate or deradicalize this
problem.
Nevertheless, the solution employed by the government has been mostly centralized in the militaristic approach.
We can see this through the raids by the Indonesian Police’s antiterror unit, Special Detachment 88, which are
often broadcast on our televisions.
In general, this approach has not been very successful in eliminating radicalism in Indonesia as there are always
new groups emerging to take their place.
It is like shaving our own beard; it grows again after we shave it.
The militaristic approach has not been effective in reducing radicalism. What has happened is the
contrary.
Beside the militaristic approach, there is another method which would be, in my opinion, more effective and
essential in eradicating radicalism in Indonesia.
The method is through cooperation with Islamic institutions such as traditional Islamic boarding schools, known as
pesantren in Indonesia. As we know, Indonesia has plenty of pesantren, most of which are affiliated with Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU), the country’s largest Islamic organization.
Furthermore, traditional pesantren are well known for their moderate thinking such as their work in interfaith
dialogue and pro-democratization, among others.
We can see this for instance in the work of P3M (Center for Pesantren and Community Development), which has
for years had a program creating discussion among traditional religious leaders upon several contemporary
discourse such as on the issue of the compatibility of Islam and democracy, pluralism and interfaith dialogue.
This fact is supported by Robin Bush, who said that pesantren are “in favor of civil society, democratic institutions
and pluralism that were deeply rooted in Islamic teachings and perspectives” (Mun’im Sirry: 2010).
By incorporating the many pesantren we can have another voice to counter that of the terrorists. This idea needs
support not only from the government but from the mass media.
As we know that the supporters of radical Islam have the resources and knowhow to publish their ideas through
media and especially the Internet.
Employing their secular background such as engineering or multimedia, they can easily access a wide audience by
creating new websites and blogs to spread their teachings.
This is contrary to the voice of the pesantren. With their basic training in religious studies, what they do is to teach
OPINION
Measuring the current House’s
performance
To claim new land, all you need is a flag
Rise of China and the future of
Australia
Prospects in agrarian reform
Compatibility between Pancasila and
sharia-based Islamic teachings
more
36 dead in C. Java train collision
Police kill four suspects in North
Sumatra gunfight
By the way ... A solution to traffic jams;
MUI prohibition of cars
Govt deplored for failing to stop
attacks on Ahmadiyah
Vegetarian congress opens with
festivities and food galore
more
More Opinion News
Kiva Microfinance
"Loans that Change Lives." Make
a Difference and Lend Today!
www.kiva.org
 Public Service Ads by Google 
Paper Edition
Deradicalization through ‘pesantren’ | The Jakarta Post http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/10/02/deradicalization-throug...
1 of 3 10/3/2010 8:59 PM
what is right and wrong according to the Koran and hadith. Disseminating these teachings via modern media such
as the Internet is a different matter.
To support this idea, there must be a comprehensive effort to help the students of traditional pesantren to publish
their ideas through the mass media.
The effort can be either to train them to write religious discourse in local newspapers or to give them adequate
skills in developing websites or blogs.
We can imagine if this attempt is successful there will be many resources, such as websites created by students of
mainstream Islam, promoting peace and pluralism instead of violence.
This action is needed in order to give adequate information to the youngsters that Islam does not support violence
or terrorism.
By giving them an abundant source of mainstream Islamic teachings, they will not be able to find other sources to
support radicalism.
The writer is a lecturer at the State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Surabaya.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Related News >>
Welcoming a guest and de-radicalization
Rise of China and the future of Australia
Prospects in agrarian reform
Police officer faces disciplinary hearing for opinion
Post Comments  |  Comments (5)
Yansen, Queensland | Sun, 03/10/2010 - 09:10am
Heran, kenapa si Rahadi Widodo yang meng-curse Tifatul ngga diingetin? Si Khairil Azhar juga merupakan antek2
perusak Islam dari dalam dan memang tulisan2 orang semacam ini sangat disukai untuk diterbitkan di media
semacam ini. Kita sudah tahu rahasia umum, kalangan fasik dan atheis sangat banyak di IAIN.
Islamic, Indonesia | Sat, 02/10/2010 - 23:10pm
Mohon maaf kepada semua pembaca atas komentar dari saudara saya, Yansen. Islam tidak mengajarkan umatnya
untuk menuduh ataupun memaksa orang lain untuk murtad, fasik dan munafik. Islam mengajarkan hanya Allah
yang bisa memutuskan apakah makhluknya berada digolongan tersebut. Orang yang berani menuduh orang lain
murtad munafik dan fasik, telah melecehkan kemampuan Allah untuk menentukan takdir umatnya, dan itu
perkataan seperti itu(astaghfirullah) jangan sampai keluar dari mulut umat Islam. Semoga Allah selalu memberikan
rahmatnya kepada bangsa ini. Assalamualaikum Wr Wb.
khairil azhar, jakarta | Sat, 02/10/2010 - 19:10pm
I was really shocked reading Yansen's comment. Is this really his? First, the way an intellectual proposes his ideas
should meet certain standards, e.g. ethics, scientific reasoning, etc. Second, how come someone like Yansen
seems to be one sided, explicitly showing his hatred against a religion? Third, doesn't he know about something
simple like human rights? Or Is he really that busy with himself and his own thought and therefore he experiences
such an amnesia? Lastly, we will never be able to cope with problems if we are only able to shout curses and
obscenities?
So, what have you actually done Pak Yansen in ensuring conflicts or terrorism eradicated? Let us know asap or
your statement is taken as only a small pack of nonsense.
Tabik.
Yansen, Queensland | Sat, 02/10/2010 - 18:10pm
Buat penulis dan Rahadi Widodo, lebih baik kalian murtad sajalah daripada kalian jadi muslim yang fasik dan
munafik. Kalian juga ga lebih baik dari hewan. Saya juga heran kenapa Purba kok bisa meloloskan tulisan seperti
ini? Ini tulisan ngga mutu dan SARA!!!
rahadi widodo, jakarta | Sat, 02/10/2010 - 13:10pm
Not if the pesantren is owned by abu bakar bashir... get good guys to run them with no hidden agenda....
Once again Foreign community you have a massive role to play on this... I need Obama pounding his fist on the
table when talking to SBY and telling him to lock up all Radicals including Tifatul!
Life Sci-Tech Environment Body & Soul Art & Design Culture Lifestyle Entertainment People Features
News & Views Headlines National Archipelago Business Jakarta World Sports Special Report Opinion Readers' forum
Deradicalization through ‘pesantren’ | The Jakarta Post http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/10/02/deradicalization-throug...
2 of 3 10/3/2010 8:59 PM
Home  Company Profile  Online Media Kit  Print Media Kit  Weekender Media Kit  About Us  Contact Us  Site Map
Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.
Deradicalization through ‘pesantren’ | The Jakarta Post http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/10/02/deradicalization-throug...
3 of 3 10/3/2010 8:59 PM


Deradicalization through ‘pesantren’

http://eprints.uinsby.ac.id/105/1/asad1.pdf

Deradicalization through ‘pesantren’

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

IAIN Sunan Ampel Repository