Protecting Universities from Radicalism
Radicalism that wants to change a social political system in a short time through extreme or violent means has penetrated the universities. The State Intelligence Agency said in 2018 that 39 percent of students in 15 provinces showed interest in radicalism.
In mid-2019, the director of the Setara Research Institute revealed the results a study by his institution: Ten state universities (PTNs) in Indonesia have been exposed to radical Islamic teaching. The 10 PTNs are the University of Indonesia (UI), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta, Sunan Gunung Djati State Islamic University Bandung, Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta State University (UNY), Brawijaya University (UB), Airlangga University and Mataram University (Unram).
According to the Setara Institute, radical ideology has spread to the top 10 PTNs through puritanical and exclusive religious groups (Salafi-Wahabi, Tarbiyah and ex-HTI) with patterns of Islamic activities that tend to be monolithic. The propaganda spread is that the safety of one’s personal life and that of the nation can only be ensured by obedience to the "path of Islam" or Muslim kafah (returning to the Qur\'an and Hadith), that Islam is under threat from Western imperialism and secular Muslims and that warfare is about Islamic glory. Radical ideology also propagates the concept of the caliphate, which makes Islam the state ideology.
The campus becomes the target of the movement to give birth to a generation of fundamentalists, who are educated in general science, but lay in the science of religion.
In a structured, systematic and large-scale way, the radicalism movement seeks to dominate the campus environment by infiltrating student organizations, mosques, prayer rooms and student dormitories. This movement is increasingly established with a militant cadre system. The campus becomes the target of the movement to give birth to a generation of fundamentalists, who are educated in general science, but lay in the science of religion.
Radicalism is also believed to have spread to private universities. This is a latent danger that can undermine the life of the nation and state as well as threaten the integrity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), because the target of the spread of radical teaching is the intellectual youths as future leaders of the nation.
Flourishing radicalism
Radicalism flourishes in universities for several reasons.
First, there’s a high interest on the part of students when they begin to explore religion. The typology of students like this is easily exposed to radicalism, because they do not have a strong foundation of religious understanding.
Second, the spirit of nationalism is declining, especially since the start of the Reform Era with the elimination of the guideline for the comprehension and practical application of Pancasila in the acceptance of new university students that was developed in the New Order era. This phenomenon has
negative implications for the weak understanding of the noble values of Pancasila as the character of the life of the nation and state, so it is easily infiltrated by teaching of radicalism that seeks to replace Pancasila.
Third, the Fourth Industrial Revolution enables the free and uncontrolled dissemination of information, while, on the other hand, students’ ability to critically select from the flood of information is decreasing. As a result, they are unable to differentiate which information is correct and which is not.
This phenomenon is very closely related to the fourth factor, namely the lack of skills to analyze and criticize information by cross-checking and verifying to assess the truth objectively, comprehensively and deeply.
Fifth is the lack of a structured and widespread involvement of students in various student activities related to their interests and talents. This leaves a vacant space for radical teaching.
Sixth is a lack of campus activities with the nuance to love the homeland and defend the state in both the academic and nonacademic fields.
Seventh is the lack of the noble values of Pancasila in the life of the nation and state in orientation activities for new students.
Eighth is the lack of religious development activities in a structured and verified way at each level.
Ninth is the lack of regulations and strict sanctions for those spreading radical teaching and for handling academics exposed to radical teaching.
This is closely related to the 10th factor, namely the lack of control by campuses of exclusive puritan groups.
Overcoming radicalism
To protect universities from radical teaching, internal studies are needed at each campus to map the condition of their students. The Joko Widodo government’s response is the establishment of the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP) and Research and Technology and Higher Education Ministry Regulation No. 55 of 2018 on the establishment of Student Activity Units -- National Ideology Development (UKM-PIB) is considered appropriate but needs to be strengthened with various strategies.
The strategies include the development of academic and student curricula related to religious activities. The aim is to map students and groups of students of low religious understanding, strengthen the foundation of religious knowledge as a wall to resist radicalism, and overcome early seeds of radicalism that have begun to grow.
Universities can cooperate with various state institutions on this.
Furthermore, we must develop the curriculum in the academic field and foster student activities related to the love of the homeland and education to defend the state. Such activities are expected to lead to the position that the strengthening of the spirit of nationalism makes students appreciate the plurality in campus life and society. Universities can cooperate with various state institutions on this.
The development of a curriculum with a lot of content on patriotism and defense of the state is also necessary in educational activities and training for education manpower as a promotional prerequisite. Curriculum development in training activities for new students can emphasize the promotion and dissemination of student activities in the fields of science and technology, arts and culture as well as entrepreneurship. The aim is to explore the potential of each student to develop their interests and talents, as well as to guard the space for the spread of radicalism.
It is necessary to improve the effectiveness of all lecturers in guiding and developing academic and student activities, both as academic advisors and as instructors and supervisors of student activities.
Another task is to sharpen the literacy skills of the academic community, especially students. The goal is to support critical thinking about all forms of information so as to avoid the spread of hoaxes as one of the ways for radical teaching to enter campuses.
Universities need to set rules with strict sanctions for those spreading radical ideology on campus. This would then become the legal basis for policy makers on every violation. Rules need to be accompanied by the monitoring and evaluation of every academic and nonacademic activity on campus.
We need to build an understanding of the entire academic community that Pancasila has been approved by Muslims in Indonesia as a national ideology because it is in accordance with Islamic values. This is what underlies the decision of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) to accept Pancasila as the state ideology, because it is a way for Muslims to practice the concept of tauhid and syariah.
However, the strategies outlined above will not work optimally if they are not reinforced by a good university management system with strong leadership. Such reinforcement will lead to the strengthening of a commitment in a structured, systematic and large-scale way to protect universities from radical teaching.
Most of the 10 strategies discussed have been well implemented by Malang Islamic University (Unisma) as one of the universities under the auspices of Nahdlatul Ulama. Unisma has developed into a multicultural campus.
At each campus activity, two songs must be sung, namely "Indonesia Raya" and "Syubbanul Wathan" (Love the Motherland), which are full of meaning. Moreover, wise messages from NU clerics are displayed in various public spaces, including the importance of Pancasila as an Indonesian ideology.
There is nothing wrong with the Research and Technology and Higher Education Ministry wanting to use campuses that have succeeded in curbing radical ideology as pilot campuses, so as to encourage other campuses to adopt similar strategies. If needed, this success can even be an important point in the assessment of prominent campuses and institutional accreditation.
Husain Latuconsina, Lecturer at the School of Math and Science (FMIPA), Malang Islamic University