Aside of many comments, my article also led to an interesting blog post by Ben K. C. Laksana. Here's his main thesis:
The answers to this are incredibly complex and it would do no justice what so ever to pinpoint one single answer. Yet seeing the many conflicts that has happened in Indonesia between religious groups and between ethnic groups we can say that the problem lies not merely on radical interpretations of the holy books or the envies of the economic disparities among the society but perhaps it is also due to the single thing that unites us Indonesians, the Pancasila, has become almost non-existent in our society. It is still a symbol of Indonesia’s unity but nonetheless it is but merely a symbol.I think Mr. Laksana missed the points of my articles. My point is why would anyone study Pancasila when politicians don't pay any attention to its proper implementation? They simply give a lips service on how wonderful Pancasila is, then go back to their merry ways of plundering the country through corruption, collusion, and nepotism, and using divisive religious issues anytime they are in trouble. Not to mention, the inability of the central government to deal with many dangerous fundamentalists masquerading as responsible government officials such as the current Mayor of Bogor.
Plus, the teaching of Pancasila in Indonesia is simply horrendeously bad. It is all full of rote memorization. Students literally fall asleep, finding nothing relevant between the discipline and real-world situation.
Moreover, with the alienation of the current youth generation from Pancasila and the rise of their religiosity, would they actually be willing to sit down for hours of lectures of Pancasila? Like what happened during the Suharto's era: students would sit down, but they won't listen. Instead, with today's proliferation of blackberries, iPads, iPhones, and other various smart electronic devices, they'd use the lecture time to play "Angry Birds" and to tend their farms in "Farmville."
Rather than making this entire issue to be Pancasila vs. Religion, what I propose here is a reformation of how religion is being taught in schools. Thus, the emphasis is not simply on learning own's rituals and doctrines, but on understanding other religions, that by the end of the day, all religions strive for a peaceful coexistence in Indonesia - thus making "religious classes" into "comparative studies on religions."
YS
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Better Religious Studies Classes Are What We Need, Not More Pancasila
Yohanes Sulaiman | May 03, 2011
The results of a recent survey on the degree of radicalism in public and private schools in Jakarta have left many people floored.
According to the Institute for Islamic and Peace Studies (LaKIP) survey, 48.9 percent of the students and 28.2 percent of the teachers in the field of Islamic studies are willing to be involved in religiously or morally motivated violence; 41.1 percent of the students and 22.7 percent of the teachers are willing to be involved in closing down and vandalizing other religions’ houses of worship; and 84.8 percent of the students and 76.2 percent of the teachers are in favor of implementing Shariah law in Indonesia.
Of course it would be a mistake to accept the results of the survey at face value. For instance, Shariah is a very fuzzy term. People can interpret it in vastly different ways. Some say it merely means having to pray five times a day while others maintain it goes as far as forbidding the mingling of men and women in public life (which may not be popular among hormone-laden teenagers) and chopping off the hands of convicted thieves (which may be heavily supported by youths who relish such garish conduct, but not that appealing to responsible adults).
There is also the issue of the neutrality of the questions and the researchers themselves. Depending on where and under what conditions a question is asked, peer pressure can be very influential — for instance causing youths to brag about their piety. There are many more external and internal factors that can skew results and one must be wary about that when reading such surveys.
Still, regardless of how a person looks at it, the results remain troubling. That a significant part of the student population is apparently willing to break laws and, even worse, that a significant number of their teachers are condoning such behavior is outrageous. Moreover, as the state is supposed to pay the salaries of these teachers, one should ask whether it is even ethical for them to remain on the public payroll, as the majority of taxpayers abhor such despicable actions.
The usual, politically correct response is that Indonesia needs to strengthen the idea of tolerance, strengthening the teaching of Pancasila in schools, making students understand the true meaning of the state ideology. Unfortunately, there is simply no evidence that by teaching Pancasila, radicalism can be eliminated.
The easiest example of this is the fact that the suicide bombers of recent years were born during the Suharto era, when the teaching of the “Guidelines for the Appreciation and Implementation of Pancasila” was strictly enforced.
Everybody growing up in the Suharto era must be familiar with the lessons in morality derived from the ideology. Yet, some of them still became extremists, willing to commit mass violence against their own brethren, such as by committing a suicide bombing inside a mosque, as we saw in Cirebon last month.
Of course, anyone who had the opportunity to experience the Pancasila classes firsthand could testify that they were useless. Many of the teachers were ineffective or, to be blunt, very boring. The propagated ideals were too lofty to have any relevance in real life, especially because at the same time we were confronted with the lamentable conduct of leaders at every level of society — from personal misbehavior to discrimination against other religions via the implementation of religious-based laws.
So, what are we supposed to do to counter the reprehensible attitude of many in our schools? First, the government must reform religious education in schools. Instead of just teaching the tenets of a particular religion, we must also shed light on the basics of other religions. For instance, Christian students should learn about why Muslims are praying five times a day. At the same time, Muslim students should learn about the variety of Christian denominations and why the role of a church in a Christian community is different from the role of a mosque in the Muslim community.
Those kinds of things may look very mundane and trivial, but surprisingly, most religious conflicts arise because of misconceptions and misunderstandings over other religions’ practices. Many Muslims are not aware of the variety within Christian denominations and wonder why Christians need so many different churches. For Christians, a church is a place of worship for people of the same denomination. Thus, a Christian may travel several kilometers to visit a specific church because that is the closest place to worship for his denomination.
On the other hand, for most Muslims, a mosque ideally is like a local community hall, where everyone is welcome, regardless of whether the worshipper is a Salafist, a Sufi, a liberal, a traditionalist or what. As a result, building a church within a Muslim-majority community can be misconstrued as a signal that there apparently is a significant number of Christians in that specific area, even though the Christian worshippers may actually come from outside.
There are many more differences between religions, from the role of preachers and imams to the more technical issues regarding religious philosophy. Still, a proper religious studies class must first and foremost focus on the relationship between religions and foster an understanding of what other religions are about. This does not mean, however, that we should teach Christians how to pray five times a day or Muslims how to receive the sacrament, as that would only create more misunderstanding and fear of “Islamization” or “Christianization.”
The second thing schools need, besides an overhaul of their religious studies program, are better teachers. A curriculum may look good on paper, but at the end of the day, the quality of instruction matters most and teachers must develop students’ critical minds.
While there are some benefits to rote learning, students trained in that tradition tend to accept everything literally, especially when it comes to religion. People believe radical teachings because they have been raised with the idea that teachers or other figures of authority are always right and that their own opinion never matters. Thus, he or she never develops the ability to think critically. Once such a person is exposed to someone who is charismatic and has interesting (dangerous) ideas, he or she cannot reflect on it without a critical mind.
It should not be a problem to have students asking critical, difficult questions about their own religion. A good teacher will be able to guide them to the correct path, rather than immediately punishing them for being “blasphemous,” forcing them to dogmatically accept certain beliefs and thus creating an intolerant community.
If the government is serious about combating radicalism in schools, then it should forgo the easy way out. Just imposing more education about Pancasila, especially when the political and religious elite are unable to provide a good example, will not make a difference. In fact, students’ growing rejection of Pancasila as a national ideology is a reflection of growing dissatisfaction toward political elites who behave outrageously and enrich themselves at the expense of the poor. This only leads students to search for alternative ideologies.
The government has two choices: it must either root out corruption and other irresponsible behavior or start teaching people to understand and to respect the differences in society. The first option is perhaps too utopian, considering the lack of seriousness in punishing even those convicted of corruption. I suggest we start with the second option.
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padt
9:13am May 3, 2011
The topic of radicalism and violence in Islam is going to be 'discussed' (anything but) or talked about (better) until the end of the world and nothing, NOTHING, will be positively achieved. It is a topic that is talked about and goes around and around and around in circles and goes no where. Why?
Because the use of violence is perfectly legitimate in Islam according to its own teachings.
The discussion that needs to take place - the discussion that few are prepared to have - some are willing to have but are fightened to have for fear of being denouced as false Muslims - the discussion that for some is beyond understanding - is this:
The claim of Islam that its teachings are the result of the descending of an uncreated revelation upon the Prophet (Blessings and peace be upon him) and that what eventually came to be written as the definitive Koran a generation or so after the Prophet's death - can be read in the light of Reason - and that, some verses which may have been applicable in the Arabic world of the 6th century, no longer apply in a world that has a different understanding of human beings. Quite simply put - some verses don't apply now because they reflect the culture and mentality of a different stage in civilization and reflect a limited understanding of God's purposes.
After much experience, Muslims decided ( who? and with what authority?) in an unwritten decree in the 12th Century to suspend the use of Reason in interpreting and understanding the Koran. This is still the case today.
Therefore , for Muslims worldwide, the Koran is virtually a 'dictated, word for word, literal' text of what is guarded and exists in heaven, expressing completely the will of God - including the use of violence in order to both spread the message of Islam and oppose those who do not accept Ismlam.
This is the crux of the problem. Not the only aspect of it - but this is at the heart of the problem.
And this is the discussion that needs to take place.
And I suggest to readers of this column, this is the discussion that no one will have - because most Muslims cannot even slightly envision the idea that the text of the Koran just might - just might - be time bound - and that what might have been acceptable in the 6th century - is not acceptable today in terms of human rights, human dignity and what constitutes acceptable or barbaric behaviour - even if it is claimed to be the will of God.
I cannot imagine that Islam is either ready or capable of having this 'discussion' anytime in the future. Mainly because there is no centralised body of religious authority to authorise it.
Again, as a result, everyone or anyone one who reads the Koran and the problematic passges refereing to the use of violence, can interpret them anyway they like. And there are plenty who wish to interpret them literally and use violence - because, while reason is excluded - the text allows them to do so. They will say, with justification according to their beliefs (which I disagree with) - this is what God wants us to do - kill people.It is written in our Book. It cannot be questioned. And if you do question it - you are the enemy and deserve the treatment due to the enemies of Islam.
It is very difficult to discuss the topic under those circumstances - because it is a dead end topic.
Nevertheless, avoiding the crux of the problem, the issue will go around and around and around until the end of time.
Roland
9:20am May 3, 2011
The results of this survey, as flawed it may be, makes me scared and actually I did NOT enjoy my morning coffee anymore. But - it is a terrible reality wea re facing now and I personally believe that any kind of religious "education" in schools should be either completely abandoned, which would be the ideal solution, as it would prevent the spread of radical ideas by certain religious teachers - but I assume with such a pious society very hard to implement, or, alternatively, strictly controlled, kept to the utmost minimum, audited and sharp guidelines given what can and what cannot be taught in the first place.11:33am May 3, 2011
Guys Bad poll results - hot on the heels of the education minister telling us that exam results have worsened The correlation between increased islamic teaching and academic achievement is clear - yet the response here is a standard moslem one of increased religious teaching and probably building more places of worship. This strategy has clearly worked with figures like 85% want Shariah Law man this place is doomed - Discount the non muslims in the poll and thats probably a 100% sucess rate...
The contradictory theme seems that in many Western places Christian religious schools actually provide a better education than the state counterparts - here it seems all schools just get you a dose of radicalisation
I can only guess that your govt actually support a caliphate then...
KZ - I look forward to your take on this gem
BrahmaPutra
6:03pm May 3, 2011
Padt your point is indeed the crux of the matter and what no righteous muslim will ever debate ! So is that a dead end then , because if it is and Islam still stays in the pause position with their interpretation lodged firmly in the 12 century i have little hope for the world at large, let alone Indonesia.
ps why don't you blog a little more about your point ? your writing and reasoning are both impressive.
BrahmaPutra
8:11pm May 3, 2011
These poll numbers combined with the comments made from NU and MUI paints quite a scary picture of the current mind set in Indonesia. For the government to have allowed this creeping Sharia colonization to go unchecked even encouraged it is just *&*^%^&%&* - i actually have no words for what i feel about that. I have a feeling the next step in this process is quite short coming. 85 percent in favor of Sharia law my god. do you thing MG has been right all along ? that Indonesia is truly lost to fanaticism and bigotry ?
If it is then i guess its time to say bye bye, pack up, empty the bank accounts (if Melinda left anything...) and head out. I sure as hell am not going to sit here and wait for the mobs to turn up on my doorstep .
TGIF
10:15pm May 3, 2011
Let's put it simply: A parent with bad communication skills, bad behavior would eventually set bad examples to their growing children. A parent is the mirror of the children. Therefore it isn't so much different from a government setting examples to their citizens. If religion studies cannot set examples then who can...corruption and radicalism of any sort remain the biggest enemies in this country.
Yohanes-Sulaiman
10:59pm May 3, 2011
It seems that my piece here touches people's raw nerves. Oh well. @padt: While the use of violence can be legitimate according to Qur'an, keep in mind that if you read the Qur'an carefully, there are only few cases when the use of violence is seen as legitimate. The fact that these students, and unfortunately the teachers, think that you an use violence to close down others' houses of worship show that they simply don't understand it and reflects the poor state of Indonesian education in both secular and religious matters.
I agree with your comments that there should be a discussion on how people intrepert Qur'an, but such push should come from within Islam itself. I think sooner or later it will appear, especially when the autocrats in the Middle East that rely on fanatics to keep them in power starting to fall. Moreover, the abuses of power done by the clerics, mullahs, and various other so-called "religious defenders" will only create backlash. Remember that the Christian Reformation appeared when there's a fatigue among the Christians themselves on how the Papacy abused its temporal power, lived in luxury while the masses were oppressed and fleeced by these letters of indulgence.
@Roland: it is simply impossible to get rid of religious education in schools. There's just so much vested interest going on and not to ention this may create backlash from the ignorant society. Actually, I agree with the idea of the government to put some guideline on the teaching of religious studies, making it more of a comparative religion class. Unfortunately though, I doubt these buereaucrats really understand about good ways to educate children.
@DIB: The govt doesn't support caliphate. The problem here is the lack of will. On Shariah: read again my oped. I noted there that the definition of Shariah is very fuzzy. It's like asking Christians whether we support Ten Commandments. You will find that most Christians support it, even though only a few idiots are willing to go to a Buddhist temple and start destroying the statues there.
@BrahmaPutra: It will stay the same in 12th Century if people keep thinking with their old ways of thinking. That's why reformation in Indonesian education system is desperatedly needed.
Plus, don't start packing up yet. The chance of you to be hit by a car or a motorcycle and die on your way to hospital is astronomically higher than the chance of a pitchfork-carrying mob attacking your house and lynching you to death.
KneecZar
6:43am May 4, 2011
I owed DD & DIB a response on an earlier article when I saw this one. I cannot tell you how appaled I am at the results of the survey. While it states it cannot be taken at face value, I certain agree with that, it is disturbing. Many factors should be taken into account, such as sample population (proportionality between public and private schools), the sample demographics, sample size, etc. It would be interesting to include the relevance between the students views and their parents as well, to paint a more complete picture. With so many distorted, skewed and twisted versions of the Islamic teachings around these days, and also available on the Internet, both teacher and student may well are confused in how to interpret and apply them.
The problem is teaching the correct fundamentals, and building upon them and how they apply in everyday life. Pancasila is indeed boring almost meaningless if we look at what is happening all around us, the government, the public officials, and the state apparatus in general, do not reflect a way of life that is Pancasilaistic. Focus of Pancasila studies should be more to nationalistic identity and pride, the cultural heritage and civic responsibility.
As for teaching religion, for a Muslim a very important part of Quran studies is Tafsir - the interpretation. It is the study of each verse, the understanding of behind the metaphors, how they relate to each other, determining laws and rulings within them and, most importantly, reconciling conflicting verses. As we all know, there are many schools of thought, many interpretations. Some Islamic scholars and jurists, even hundreds of years ago, have stated that many verses are not applicable anymore. Their interpretation should be considered, say, based on historical context; how, when, what the circumstances and where these verses were revealed. Another method of interpretation is taking into account the current social and economic environment of the time, how it relates to the present. So, who decides this? Unfortunately, many in the Islamic world claim authority, and the result is an ambigious, multiple set of edicts and rulings which are most often contradictory with each other. For some, yes, they are stuck in 12th century, others somewhere between then and present 21st century.
Some of the things that have been trying to convey since day 1 has been prominently and convincingly laid out by padt, well said! As I mentioned above, there are many schools of thought, but with no centralized authority to issue an authoritative ruling or edict, each Islamic group and sect just carry on with their own sets of interpretation. There are many in the Islamic world who have gone beyond the literal text of the Quran, and made justifiable interpretations which are better suited and applicable in the current society. For example, what is the definition of a Jihad and when is it applicable? I posted a while back the criteria of Jihad and the different forms of it. Even the definition is open to interpretation and has been often misused by many extremists and terrorists to further their own agenda. (WebEd - can you please track this post, can be useful?)
Another example is apostacy. A person commits apostasy (irtidad) or becomes an apostate (murtadd) if he describes himself a Muslim and then at a later time takes one of the following actions in a public way:
1) Converts to another religion, e.g. becomes a Christian or Buddhist or Baha`i etc.
2) Rejects a part of the Qur`an after recognizing it to be a part of the Qur`an.
3) In some cases when the whole ummah (community) agrees that a certain interpretation of some Quranic verses or Hadith is unacceptable, then the person who holds such an interpretation may become an apostate by a decision of the ummah. (Even here it's based on certain interpretation!)
The traditional view is punishable by death, even though there are NO direct revelations prescribing it. The correct view (again depends on whom that follow this course), is to treat them no differently than other kafirs (an Unbeliever of Allah), the degree of friendship or hostility is directly proportional with their view or actions towards Islam and Muslims.
Sorry for the long post WebEd!
ThereIsNoGod
9:25am May 4, 2011
Eh? Believing in a non-existent being is more important than the history of a nation? DrDez
10:20am May 4, 2011
BP Im hearing alot of expats saying similar things - The study is almost certainly flawed but it does indicate a swing and also explains why the govt are so reluctant to take any meaningful action - to do so would mean certain vote out. It explains why the general hatred towards all things non muslim is growing and it explains why the mobs are getting more restless and ever more powerful, it explains why some politicains get away with making the most6 inflamatory remarks and likewise radical organisations all with impunity... scary .
BrahmaPutra
8:53am May 5, 2011
Hi KZ thanks for your long and detailed post, problem is i don't see a solution in what you have written. A clarification of the problem as it stands, but no viable solution. So where does this leave us. Some would say up s#$t creek without a paddle! If this poll is in ANY WAY representative of the peoples will and the hardening of the muslim faith in Indonesia then i think it is curtains unless something fundamental happens to turn the tide.
@Yohanes-Sulaiman
if you knew who i am, where i am and what i do you might change that ratio...
@DrDez serious matters indeed. I tried to explore some of the creeping colonization of the mind in a recent blog entry.
@TING indeed with the future of the nation as a progressive democracy at stake it is unnerving to see the politicians edging towards a Sharia based economically dead society.
KneecZar
11:11am May 5, 2011
BP, thats my point, there is no immediate solution at hand. With even the highest Islamic body saying that the state ideology is not suited to Muslims and barely preaching tolerance, where do we stand as a nation? They are definitely at odds with NU and Muhammadiyah on a variety of issues, hence any dialog at present will not yield fruitful results. The onus is on the government, without their intervention we cannot even start making changes.Yohanes-Sulaiman
3:32pm May 5, 2011
@all: while I understand the fear of growing radicalism in Indonesia, keep in mind that Indonesia is still very far from becoming into another Pakistan or Middle Eastern countries. True that the survey that I quoted is very disturbing, on the other hand, it is also a mistake to overreact to the survey. Compared to Pakistan, where the killings of a Christian minister and a pluralist governor were celebrated, you actually see major condemnations in Indonesia. The fact that the internet forums, mainstream newspapers, and even the government are still condeming any violence shows that Indonesia is still far from being a fundamentalist society. In Pakistan, the government abstained itself from the funeral and in the Middle East, it took a while before the government and the society even consider Al Qaeda as a threat. Keep in mind that the violent religious freaks remain a very small sliver of the society and will remain there for sure. The only reason they keep growing for now is because both the government and the parliament are unable to get their act together and to behave as adults.
Moreover, keep in mind that the governments that rely on fundamentalists are usually undemocratic ones thus needing those religious freaks as their cannon fodder. Here, the election may be flawed but it is still democratic.
@BP: I don't know who you are and where you are, but unless you are living in Somalia, Yemen, or other places where you are in the middle of a civil war or genocide and the government really has no legitimacy outside its palace, I will stand by my calculation.
Keep in mind that traffic accidents kill more people than war in the 20th century according to the WHO. Thus, if you are living in places like Jakarta, chances are slim that anyone will start hunting you, unless you do something really stupid, e.g. burning Qur'an.
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