T

he time will soon arrive when today’s young generation will lead the nation. However, this era may have to be approached with caution as the millennial generation appears to be growing less tolerant toward minority groups.

A nationwide survey conducted by the prominent Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) found that Muslim students were more intolerant toward Muslims from different denominations than they were toward people of other faiths.

The survey, involving 1,859 students from state high schools and state universities across the country’s 34 provinces conducted from Oct. 1 to 7, found that 51.1 percent of respondents held intolerant views of peoples who had been persecuted for their beliefs, in particular the Ahmadiyah and Shia.

In response to a series of close-ended questions, roughly 34 percent of respondents said they agreed with intolerant acts against minority groups, while 49 percent disagreed with government protection of groups they considered heretical.

An overwhelming majority, 86.55 percent, of students even agreed the government should ban such “heretical” groups.

Religious minority groups, such as the Ahmadiyah, Shia and Gafatar, in addition to followers of indigenous and native faiths, have long suffered from discrimination and oftentimes become the targets of religiously-motivated violence by some Muslim groups. Many have been forcibly evicted from their homes or dispersed while performing religious activities.

The students in the survey, however, tended to be more tolerant toward non-Muslim people, with about 34.3 percent of respondents agreeing with intolerant views toward non-Muslim communities and 17.3 percent agreeing with intolerant acts against them.

“This is a situation we should be wary of. It doesn’t look particularly dangerous just yet, but the tendency is likely to grow. Any form of intolerance is not tolerable,” PPIM director Saiful Umam said on Wednesday.

The radical views of educators have influenced the way they teach at schools and campuses and has seen them spread similar opinions among their pupils, with 50 percent of respondents saying that the Islamic lessons they received had taught them not to accept such “defiant” groups.

Nearly 65 percent of the students said their Islamic education at school was focused on faith and devotion, while only 12.9 percent learned about respecting diversity at school.

It appears teachers have refused to give students lessons about tolerance. The survey also interviewed 264 high school teachers and 58 lecturers — all of whom teach Islamic education and work for state educational institutions — and found that roughly 54 percent disagreed that the curriculum on Islamic education should display tolerance toward Ahmadiyah and Shia denominations. Around 69.3 percent also agreed with intolerant acts against these groups, which they considered to be “defiant” to Islamic teachings. “Most of the teachers believed it was a sign of success if their students became more religious.” Saiful said.

The PPIM survey seems to confirm previous surveys by other research centers, including religious rights group the Ma’arif Institute, that found last year that public schools had become fertile grounds for the spread of conservatism and intolerance.

The lack of professional Islamic education teachers appears to be a major reason behind the divisive Islamic lessons taught in schools.

“Many of the Islamic education teachers are actually biology or mathematics teachers,” Religious Affairs Ministry director general for Islamic education Kamaruddin Amin said, highlighting the need for approximately 21,000 professional Islamic education teachers.