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Islamic scholars told to take leading role in countering intolerance
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Islam Defenders Front (FPI) supporters march toward Jakarta Police headquarters in South Jakarta. (kompas.com/Akhdi Martin Pratama)
L
ecturers at state Islamic universities, known for their moderate and progressive interpretations of religious tenets, should be at the forefront in tackling the rise of intolerant groups that try to dominate public discourse by exploiting religious sentiment, a scholar has argued.
Unlike lecturers at state universities, academics at state Islamic universities have more authority to talk about religion, especially Islam, and to counter the rhetoric used by hard-line groups such as the Islam Defenders Front (FPI).
“I can debate [with them] in politics or economics, but when they start using religious verses [to counter my argument], I am done,” Freedom Institute executive director Rizal Mallarangeng said at a book discussion at the Syarief Hidayatullah State Islamic Universities in Ciputat, Banten, on Tuesday.
Rizal said Islamic scholars countering the rhetoric of intolerant groups was nothing new. He mentioned respected figure Nurcholish Madjid, aka Cak Nur, as an Islamic scholar who spread the message of moderate Islam and therefore significantly contained violent religious ideas.
“We need more people like Cak Nur or Gus Dur,” Rizal said, referring to the late former president and pluralism hero Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid. Gus Dur was also a former chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama, the nation’s largest Islamic organization.
“We need to reinforce the role of the UIN in countering radical ideas […] this is work for the UIN,” said Iding Rosyidin, head of the political sciences department at the university.
