Most Islamic studies teachers oppose pluralism, survey finds

Abdul Khalik ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 11/26/2008 7:06 AM  |  Headlines

Most Islamic studies teachers in public and private schools in Java oppose pluralism, tending toward radicalism and conservatism, according to a survey released in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The study shows 62.4 percent of the surveyed Islamic teachers, including those from Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah — the country’s two largest Muslim organizations — reject the notion of having non-Muslim leaders.

The survey was conducted last month by the Center for Islamic and Society Studies (PPIM) at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University in Jakarta, involving some 500 Islamic studies teachers throughout Java.

It reveals 68.6 percent of the respondents are opposed to non-Muslims becoming their school principle and 33.8 percent are opposed to having non-Muslim teachers at their schools.

Some 73.1 percent of the teachers don’t want followers of other religions to build their houses of worship in their neighborhoods, it found.

Some 85.6 percent of the teachers prohibit their students from celebrating big events perceived as Western traditions, while 87 percent tell their students not to learn about other religions.

Some 48 percent of the teachers would prefer for female and male students to be separated into different classrooms.

PPIM director Jajat Burhanudin said the teachers’ anti-pluralist views would be reflected in their lessons and contribute to growing conservatism and radicalism among Muslims in the country.

“I think they play a key role in promoting conservatism and radicalism among Muslims nowadays. You can’t say now that conservatism and radicalism only develop on the streets like what has been campaigned by the FPI (the Islam Defenders Front), but rather deep within the education (system),” he said, referring to a radical Islamic group.

Jajat said such intolerance threatened the civil and political rights of citizens of other religions.
The survey also shows 75.4 percent of the respondents ask their students to call on non-Muslim teachers to convert to Islam, while 61.1 percent reject a new Islamic sect.

In line with their strict beliefs, 67.4 percent said they felt more Muslim than Indonesian.

The majority of the respondents also support the adoption of sharia law in the country to help fight crime.

According to the survey, 58.9 percent of the respondents back rajam (stoning) as a punishment for all kinds of criminal and 47.5 percent said the punishment for theft should be having one hand cut off, while 21.3 percent want the death sentence for those who convert from Islam.

Only 3 percent of the teachers said they felt it was their duty to produce tolerant students.

With 44.9 percent of the respondents claiming themselves members of Nahdlatul Ulama and 23.8 percent supporters of Muhammadiyah, Jajat said the two moderate organizations had failed to establish their values at the grassroots.

“Moderation and pluralism are only embraced by their elites. I am afraid that this kind of phenomenon has contributed to increasing radicalism and even terrorism in our country,” he said.

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David, Australia (not verified) — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 7:05pm

The attitudes shown by this survey suggest intolerance of a kind which will make it very hard for us to see each other as just people, worthy of respect as human beings and tolerance for our diversity.

The West is very tolerant - ruinously tolerant. The Islamic world is becoming less and less so. Muslims are abusing the hospitality of Western host countries. Where are the Christian churches in Saudi Arabia and Sudan? Why are Christians and their churches regularly attacked by violent Muslims?

Well, in response to the survey's finding that "Some 73.1 percent of the teachers don’t want followers of other religions to build their houses of worship in their neighborhoods", I DON'T WANT MUSLIMS BUILDING MOSQUES IN AUSTRALIA EITHER. Islam is just too much associated with intolerance, violence, ignorance, disgusting treatment of women, barbaric punishments, and rejection of the sort of critical thought that makes progress and civilization possible (it closed the gates of ijtihad close on 1000 years ago and has gone downhill steadily ever since). No wonder Muslims are "the poorest, the most illiterate, the most backward, the most unhealthy, the most un-enlightened, the most deprived, and the weakest of all the human race." [President Musharraf of Pakistan to a conference of science and technology ministers from Muslim countries in 2002]

Indonesia expects Australia to be a good friend, and we try to be. The Indonesian government is currently asking the Australian government for a loan of 3 billion dollars during the present economic crisis.

Why should we help? Ask Saudi Arabia instead. After all, it gave you $25 million for the tsunami!

John wilfred (not verified) — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 6:50pm

poor children , no diversity no humanity .
the only way now is to go all the way get hurt bad and come back .
iran is doing so and had 30 terrible years ( even they had all the oil money ) cut off the thieves/corrupts hands that will leave no Indonesians with any hands .
please enough hypocrisy .
let us go back to a loving and kind Indonesia.
then we where all smiling and free .

Syahdan — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 6:18pm

It is a mistake to come that conclusion. "Pluralism" is not the same as mixing the teaching of relegion. I'm asking the competence of PPIM of constructing the questionairs, and then come to that premature conclusion. The items in the questionair are not touching at all the principle of pluralism. We really appreciate the teaching of other religion and we really live full of tollerant. Indonesia is democratic country, isn't. Democratic means that the majority is holding the vote. I think this phenomena is everywhere, including US.

Syahdan — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 5:48pm

It's not not surprising. When it is carried out to other religion teacher, the result will more or less the same. We still remember the reaction of non moeslem school when the educational minister issued regulation related to the students' right of having religion subject based on thier belief. The reaction much more the same. It's shameful for this kind of survey. Every religion has their own belief. US elected president is also coming from the same faith. But, I think it will be different case with the moslem. This surveyor should open thier eyes. Why don't you do it in US, as people call it liberal country or democratic country. I strongly believe the result will the same. This is just waste our time. Still remember when the supporters of Obama kicked their friend who were in veil on the day of Obama campaign just because they don't want to ruin the image of Obama.

Rakhim (not verified) — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 5:29pm

THIS IS A WAKE UP CALL TO NU AND MUHAMMADIYAH LEADERS! PLEASE DO SOMETHING BEFORE ITS TOO LATE AND THIS COUNTRY TURN TO TALIBANISM.
ISLAM IS SUPPOSE TO BE THE MOST CONTEMPORARY RELIGION IN COMPARE TO OTHER MAJOR RELIGION. IN REALITY IT IS THE MOST BACKWARD!!!

Ino (not verified) — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 5:12pm

The survey has indeed suggested the fact that the lack of tolerance towards other religions has rooted in the very core of knowledge itself; education.

I reckon that a qualitative study must be conducted to further research this issue into more details.

However, the question that will emerge is simply," So now what?"

"What can the government do about it?"

It seems like the sense of nationalism let alone patriotism have long been forgotten. People seem to forget the essence of "Bhineka Tunggal Ika".

Aditya (not verified) — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 5:00pm

Mutahanah:8

ALLAH does not forbid you to respect those who have not made war againts you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you who them kindness and deal with them justly ;surely ALLAH loves the doers of justice.

Silent Brain (not verified) — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 4:04pm

That is a stupid attitude to take. So I suppose that since they feel uncomfortable around people of other religions they are willing to allow the Islands of Bali, Manado, Papua and others that do not have a majority Muslim population to declare independance from Indonesia?

Why do many Indonesian Muslim tourists visit Bali; a majority Hindu Island, every year if they feel uncomfortable with people of other religions? Bali is Bali only because of the mysticism and culture of the Hindu people that live there. The day that Bali ceases to be majority Hindu is the day that tourism ends to that magical island.

My advise - if you are a discriminatory person please stay home, practice birth control and don't express you opinions to anyone else!

delvi (not verified) — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 3:22pm

rejecting non-muslim president, huh?
since our independence we've ruled by muslims and they failed to do a real 'something' to this country if their muslim-ness is to use to asses their performance. the first was great. he proclaimed our independence. but, he was outsmarted by the second. even god was unable to bring this country out of the mess caused by our first president. worse, his fiery and electrifying speeches could not save millions of lives on behalf of bloody ideological clash in the 60s. the second was also great, they tell me, he brought prosperity that he was entitled to be addressed as bapak pembangunan (he who develops the nation). he was a hajji which signs his islamic piety i reckon. yet, he was responsible for the death of millions and other millions during his 32 years tenure. he was a thief and so were his entire clan. he robbed the people and made them poor to their wombs. what kind of muslim is that? the third is a scientist. he was or is a pious muslim as well. but everybody knows being an excellent scientist does not mean being a good leader. people just could not trust him coz he was just the proxy of the second president. the third was 'real' great. he was a pluralist. i admire his decision to abolish the draconian law which created the earthly hell for the family of the real/alleged communists of the 60s. he is a great pluralist kyai and of course he is a heavenly learned muslim. but he was a lousy president. his kyai-ness was unable to cure the ailing economy. people were still starving. ironically his progressive thoughts are deemed to be too progressive or high above the thick head of ordinary indonesians. so people kicked him out.yeah we were stupid and are stupid. the fourth was a lady. well, she has the pedigree of being a leader. she is the daughter of the first. it was ironically funny if i recall gangs of ulamas (islamic scholars) across the country gazetted an edict that a female president is haram (forbidden in islam) but they said it was ok to have a president with a vagina when they learned that the vice president of that the not-so-good-muslim-unhijabbed-female president was one of them. now you must understand that islam has been highly politicized in my country. she was just an ok president. yup the economy recovered a little bit. but still the presidential gene run in her vein could do no better to sort Indonesia's myriads of problem. so she lost her post to another male president who was indonesia's first democratically elected president. he is no ordinary president i remind u. he holds a doctorate and was a general, a hajji and supposed to be a good muslim. people used to love him. but he let the mud caused by his minister's private company drown his people. yeah that's what happens when the government comprises of too many parties. you've got no strong leadership but a compromist at the cost of ordinary people. in my eye, his mortal mistake is his silence over that dreaded porn law. sorry sir, you've lost my respect and vote. what kind of muslim is that to condone such a law which is racist, chauvinist to boot, and sexist. good muslims won't approve such a law i reckon.

folk we need not a muslim president. what we need is a leader who can help us with our problems; a president who can feed us at least three times a day; a president who enable us to send our kids to school; a president who eases us from worrying about the pricey health care system; a president who are learned that freedom of expression is not a sin; a president who is aware about global warming; a president who is not sexit......in short can lead us to the better not rule us to tatter.

if we have such a person, i will vote for him/her/it no matter if that individual is a drag queen, a homosexual, a lesbian,a 'heathen', a punk, a dangdut singer, a crippled, an albino, an atheist,....

Israr iskandar (not verified) — Wed, 11/26/2008 - 3:12pm

I think, the survey result shows that Indonesia still need big agendas to shape more moderate moslems.

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