Ini di ambil dari The Jakarta Post, Wednesday, November 26, 2008 1:09 PM,
Most Islamic studies teachers oppose pluralism, survey finds, Abdul Khalik ,
The Jakarta
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 â the countryâs two largest
Muslim organizations â 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 donât 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 teachersâ anti-pluralist views
would be reflected in their lessons and contribute to growing conservatism and
radicalism among Muslims in the country.
âI think they play a key role in promoting conservatism and radicalism
among Muslims nowadays. You canât 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),â 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.
âModeration 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,â he said.
