'Pesantren' against terrorism<\/p>\n
A. Chaedar Alwasilah
\nLecturer
\nIndonesian University
\nof Education (UPI)
\nBandung, West Java<\/p>\n
In Indonesian history, Islamic boarding schools, known as
\npesantren, surau, dayah or pondok, have played
\na significant role not only in education but also in preparing
\nthe social and political leaders of this country.<\/p>\n
The institutions function as a bastion for Muslim forces, a
\ncenter for Islamic studies and propagation and a center for the
\ndevelopment of Muslim society. During colonial times, they
\nfunctioned as a headquarters for mobilizing the people against
\nthe Dutch and Japanese forces.<\/p>\n
Since the deadly bomb blast in Bali on Oct. 12, which killed
\nover 190 people and injured more than 300 others, many foreign
\nanalysts have been misled into believing that the schools are a
\nharbor for terrorists. The issue of terrorism is quite a recent
\nphenomenon, while pesantren are as old as the history of Islam in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
The pesantren are unique in many ways that are oftentimes
\noverlooked by educational and political observers with no
\nfirsthand experience. As a former pesantren student, I want to
\nshare my experience.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the pesantren remain traditional. What I experienced
\nin the 1970s is similar to what my father experienced in the
\n1940s, which still holds true now in most of these schools. In
\ngeneral, the pesantren have five components: The cleric, the
\nstudents or santri, the mosque, a boardinghouse and the classic
\nbooks, called kitab kuning, which literally means yellow books,
\nas the paper of most of the books are yellowed from age.<\/p>\n
The kyai, or cleric, is charismatic and modest and is thus the
\nmodel to emulate in terms of knowledge, behavior and leadership.
\nThe cleric-student relationship is close, informal, egalitarian,
\nand consultative.<\/p>\n
Hence, the students grow to become the cleric's loyal and
\nfaithful followers. Through continued silaturahmi, or
\ncommunication for brotherhood and common humanity, networking is
\nestablished between the cleric and his disciples, and among the
\ndisciples.<\/p>\n
Living on the same campus, the cleric oversees almost all of
\nthe activities of the students. The students are taught to help
\neach other, to live modest and decent lives and more importantly
\nto live independently. While public schools and colleges are
\ncontinuously blamed for mass-producing unemployable graduates,
\nsuch blame is inappropriate for the pesantren.<\/p>\n
All graduates have been taught literacy, honesty, devotion,
\nbrotherhood, independence, mutual help and networking, all of
\nwhich are vital for any kind of employment.<\/p>\n
The mosque is where communal prayers, classical learning,
\ntutoring and meetings are held. Clearly, the mosque on campus
\nsymbolizes devotion to Allah the Almighty, commitment to learning
\nand responsibility for social harmony. It is the theological
\nlaboratory where Islamic teachings are critically examined and
\nempirically put into practice.<\/p>\n
Unique to the pesantren is reciprocal tutoring. Younger
\nstudents learn from the students in the class above them, who
\nlearn from the class above them -- all the way up to the cleric.
\nThis promotes reciprocal learning and teaching. It also maintains
\na loose, informal and collegial management of learning and
\nbrotherhood.<\/p>\n
Depending on its size, a pesantren may have more than one
\ncleric, usually from the same family. The clerics teach the
\nstudents according to their areas of expertise, which mostly
\ncomprise the recital of the Koran, Arabic syntax, morphology,
\nsemantics, theology, jurisprudence, tafsir (interpretation of the
\nKoran), hadits (study of the Prophet Muhammad's sayings and
\nactions) and usul fiqh (methodology of Islamic jurisprudence).<\/p>\n
Obviously, there is no specialization in politics, economics,
\nhistory and literature, let alone technology.<\/p>\n
In 1988\/1989 there were about 6,631 pesantren across the
\narchipelago, teaching 958,670 male and female students. Over the
\nyears these numbers have increased considerably. Many parents see
\nthe pesantren as a promising alternative for educating their
\nchildren. There are never any news reports about student brawls,
\nrobberies, sex, homicide, suicide and drug abuse at pesantren.<\/p>\n
Our national education system has produced intellectuals,
\nengineers, diplomats, lawyers, businesspeople, bankers,
\npoliticians and legislators. However, it has failed to provide
\nmany of them with a sense of honesty, integrity, morality,
\ndevotion, brotherhood, independence, mutual help, virtue and
\nleadership.<\/p>\n
To rectify this situation, the Ministry of National Education
\ncould learn from the pesantren, including their features as
\nboarding schools. By preserving their traditions, Islamic
\nboarding schools have survived and succeeded in educating the
\npeople.<\/p>\n
It would be shamefully erroneous to conclude that the issue of
\nterrorism has tarnished the magnificent picture of such schools.
\nSome elements of extremist movements may wage holy war or jihad,
\nnamely readiness to die for virtue and God, but that is totally
\nuncharacteristic of Muslims in Indonesia, famed for being
\nmoderate and antiviolence. Until recently, we have never heard of
\nterrorism being connected to the pesantren here. Islam does not
\ncondone terrorism.<\/p>\n
A series of robberies reportedly committed by terrorists to
\nget funds for killing innocent people is un-Islamic, and
\ntherefore contradicts the virtues, traditions and beliefs long
\nestablished, well propagated and highly regarded in the
\npesantren. An evil-doer will use any means to justify his or her
\nends, including the misuse of a linkage with any institution,
\nincluding the pesantren.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/pesantren-against-terrorism-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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