Moderating 'radical' Islamic boarding schools<\/p>\n
Muhamad Ali, Lecturer, Jakarta State Islamic University
\nmuhamad@hawaii.edu<\/p>\n
Central Java Police Chief Insp.Gen. Didi Widayadi indicated
\nrecently that several pesantren or Islamic boarding schools have
\nbecome home to members of militant groups. This follows the wide-
\nspread belief that extremists advocating sharia are based in a
\nnumber of districts in the province. They are now under tight
\nsurveillance, to prevent the possibility of further terrorist
\nattacks.<\/p>\n
Pesantren have attracted much public attention, as suspected
\nterrorists, responsible for the attacks in Bali and Jakarta
\nhappened to be either graduates or students of such schools. The
\nword pesantren is now associated with "militancy," particularly
\non the Internet. This assimilation has disturbed many pesantren
\neducators who believe that the schools are more conceptually
\ncomplex and indeed, more peaceful environments, than that which
\nis widely depicted.<\/p>\n
Now -- in an unprecedented categorization -- pesantren are
\nseen as being either radical (militant), or moderate; overriding
\nthe terms traditional or modern, which mainly indicated the style
\nof curricula taught. World politics has influenced the perception
\n(or misperception) of pesantren and attempts to build a more
\nbalanced picture are more urgent than ever. However, it is also a
\nchallenging exercise to determine why several pesantren have
\nbecome havens for militancy.<\/p>\n
The Nahdlatul Ulama leader, Hasyim Muzadi, for instance,
\nquickly contends that pesantren do not produce radicalism, much
\nless terrorism, because they are the heart of religious study.
\nReligion is taught as a way of life; morality and ethics are
\nstrongly emphasized and -- to some extent -- nationalism.<\/p>\n
The schools provide Islamic education in a form which took
\nroot hundreds of years ago. Pesantren implies the notion of an
\nindigenous Islam. The word santri, has arguably derived from a
\nSanskrit word, sastri, which meant literate; or a Javanese word
\ncantrik meaning a student who follows his teacher wherever he
\ngoes. Pesantren have at least three components: Students
\n(santri), boarding facilities (pondok), and teachers (kiyai). The
\nteachers are the center of not only the pesantren but also the
\nsurrounding community -- intellectually, religiously, socially,
\neconomically and sometimes politically.<\/p>\n
Pesantren have become the key to Islamic propagation and
\ncivilization throughout the Malay-Indonesian archipelago.
\nHowever, even in early times, there were kiyai who were more
\northodox than others. For example, Ahmad Ripangi (1786-1875) from
\nKalisalak, accused other kiyai (who disagreed with him) as being
\ninfidels. In the 19th century, the term "fanatic" was already in
\ncommon usage and Ahmad Ripangi the bearer of this label.<\/p>\n
Pesantren leaders also played a leading role in Javanese
\nresistance against the Dutch. Radicalism manifested in the
\nstruggle against foreign oppression. However, religion was only
\none of many reasons why the people went to war.<\/p>\n
When the surrounding community seemed to be full of evil,
\npesantren teachers served as moral guardians. Some used soft
\nmethods, but others employed hard-line attitudes, with the credo
\namar ma'ruf nahi munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil).<\/p>\n
But pesantren have yielded many more moderates and liberals
\nthan fundamentalists. Nationalist Muslim leaders such as
\nAbdurrahman Wahid and Nurcholish Madjid were educated in such
\nschools; which are the least responsible for creating such
\nfigures as terrorist suspects Imam Samudra or Hambali. Thousands
\nof pesantren teachers who have struggled to better the lives of
\nIndonesians should not be victimized.<\/p>\n
People consider whether the tradition of pesantren itself
\nprovides the means for radicalism. But only moderate attitudes
\ncan stem from moderate teaching materials and methods. The
\nteaching of theology, law, morality, and ritualism is not
\ninherently radical, fanatic, or militant. Orthodoxy does not
\nnecessarily mean militancy.<\/p>\n
The pesantren I went to in West Java emphasized the search for
\nknowledge; they even taught students to be moderate, democratic
\nand diplomatic. Students are certainly not taught to hate
\nforeigners or to commit suicide-bombing-attacks or other
\nterrorist acts.<\/p>\n
Many pesantren teach the Wahhabist theology, but other
\ntheologies are taught as well, including that of the modernist
\nMuhammad Abduh. The teaching of Wahhabi theology might cause
\nintolerance toward un-Islamic behavior -- such as immorality and
\nsuperstition -- but this attitude does not automatically lead to
\nvandalism or destruction.<\/p>\n
The kyai are free to decide upon which Islamic texts will be
\ntaught in their pesantren. Such freedom allows the schools to
\ntake any theological or legal position -- so that they tend to be
\neclectic in nature. Although most pesantren in Indonesia adhere
\nto the teachings of the Sunni school of Islam, radicalism does
\nnot spring from Sunni theology either.<\/p>\n
The fact that several pesantren nurtured militants may have
\nbeen caused by the intimate relationship between teachers and
\nstudents. The practice of imitation (taqlid) of the teacher might
\nhave some bearing on militant inclinations. It would seem logical
\nthat militant teachers produce militant students. And the fact
\nthat pesantren are vulnerable to such relationships is partly due
\nto their independency. Lack of control over the teachers and the
\ncurricula is also a factor.<\/p>\n
It is not unreasonable for the government to carefully watch
\ncertain pesantren, but this should be done in a wise and
\nconsiderate manner. Moderate religious organizations, such as
\nMuhammadiyyah and Nahdlatul Ulama, should also play a greater
\nrole in ensuring that pesantren teach religious moderation.
\nIt is by no means an easy task, but the government and religious
\norganizations should work hand in hand in the struggle against
\nterrorism.<\/p>\n
The writer is studying for a Ph.D in history, and is a Fellow
\nat the East-West Center in Honolulu.<\/p>",
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