DISCUSSION Proc 2015 Commemorative Academic Conference

3

II. DISCUSSION

A. What is Islamic Radicalism? To start with, the discussion about radicalism or Islamic radicalism is an important thing to do. The clarification to the terms will enable us to identify the nature of pesantren and its educational system, whether pesantren can be categorized as having taught, encouraged, or practiced radicalism or not. In Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, the term ‘radicalism’ means belief in radical ideas and principle, while ‘radical’ concerns the most basic and important part of something; thorough and complete; new, different, and likely have a great effect. 7 With regard to the religious radicalism, it might be understood as ideas or principle that drives religion’s follower to do something. A radical person characteristically wants to pursue the ideal or complete form or great change of something in religious arena. Tahir Abbas and friends, in the book, Islamic Political Radicalism: A European Perspective, try to scrutinize‘Islamic radicalism’ and what motivates some Muslims, whether individually or collectively, to engage with the so-called ‘extremist’ activities, in local, national and global contexts. They argue that ideology of radicalism or what they call as radicalization of Islam, can be traced back to the Salafi ‘early Islam’ writings of Muslim ideologues such as Sayyid Qutb, Hassan al-Banna’s Ikhwan al-Muslimin, Maulana Abu al-a’la al-Maududi in the 1930s, 1940s or 1950s, actions of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and its wings, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Fateh in the 1960s and 1970s, or through the Libyans, Iraqis, Iranians or Lebanese, such as Hamas or Hezbollah in the1980s. 8 From their study, radicalism is not only theological matter,but it more results from sociological, anthropological, psychological and politicalones. Such factors asethnicity, generation, social class, the effects of global consumerism, youth culture, deprivation, social exclusion and racism or Islam phobia, frequently constitute the main drives of radicalism. 9 Religion, however, is frequently misused for political interest. Radicalists usually apply religious labels for violent ends.By giving their version of interpretations of holy text, they rationalize terrorism. Extremists hijacked religion and spread hate propaganda by categorizing the West as enemy, Islam under attack,and calling for jihad. 10 The question is whether such occurs in Indonesia? In fact, Indonesia is also facing radicalism threats. Observers analyzethat there are four sources of threats in Indonesia:i cells of international terrorist networks operating in Indonesia; ii domestic radical Islamic organizations; iii religious and ethnic conflicts; and iv separatist movements. The four threats are sometimes interconnected. 11 Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country in the world, is potential to be infiltrated by international terrorist networks because there areMuslim groupsin the countrythat sharethe same ideological orientation. 12 In Indonesia, radical or militant Muslims emergedparticularly since the fall of Soeharto in 2008. Before that, for political interest, Soeharto has actually approached and taken support among Muslims. Radicalism in Indonesia is resulted from regime change and open 7 A S Hornby, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English, Oxford:Oxford University Press, 2003, sixth edition, p. 1086 8 Tahir Abbas, Ed., Islamic Political Radicalism: A European Perspective , Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007, p. 4 9 Tahir Abbas, Ed., Islamic Political Radicalism: A European Perspective, p. 4 10 Tahir Abbas, Ed., Islamic Political Radicalism: A European Perspective, p. 4 11 Angel Rabasa, The military and democracy in Indonesia: challenges, politics, and power, 2002, p. 81 12 Angel Rabasa, The military and democracy in Indonesia : challenges, politics, and power, p. 81 4 public sphere which was absent before it. 13 It means that radicalism in Indonesia is somehow political. At that time,at the beginning of the reform era, some names emerged as leading figures of Islamic radicalism in Indonesia. To mention some: Habib Rizieq Shihab of Front of Defenders of Islam or Front Pembela Islam FPI, Abu Bakar Baasyir of Islamic Congregation or Jamaah Islamiyah JI and The Indoneisan Council of Jihad Fighters or Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia, Agus Dwi Karna of Laskar Jundullah which is the metamorphosis of Darul Islam Tentara Islam Indonesia DITII, and Ja‘far Umar Thalib of Jihad Fighters or Laskar Jihad. 14 According to Azyumardi Azra, radical groups in Indonesia can be categorized into two: the first group includes radical groups that are basically home-grown, such as Laskar Jihad, FPI, and some other smaller groups. The second group includes Middle Eastern affiliated, or oriented group, like the JAMI Jamaah Ikhwan al-Muslimin Indonesia and HTI Hizbu al-Tahrir Indonesia. 15 JI Islamic Congregation or Jamaah Islamiyah and The Indonesian Council of Jihad Fighters or MMI Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia led by Abu Bakar Baasyir are also included into the second group. Based on the above information, it is safe to say that there are radicalism potencies in Indonesia. Moreover, Indonesia has ever experienced several events of terror and conflict driven by religious sensitivity. To mention some are: ethnic and religious conflict in Maluku 1999- 2002, Poso 1999-2001, West Borneo 1998-2000, Bali Bombing 2002 and 2005, Marriot Bombing 2003, Australian Embassy Bombing 2004, and recently harassment towards Ahmadiyah in Bogor 2010 and Syiah in Madura2013. The next question is whether such incidents are related to pesantren as an Islamic educational institution in Indonesia. B. What is Pesantren? Pesantren is the oldest Islamic educational institution in Indonesia. 16 It is originally a specific Islamic boarding school in Java and Madura, but it latter can be found in other islands in Indonesia. Pesantren can now be found in other parts of Indonesia as a branch of a pesantren in Java or because the leader or so-called kyiai is graduate of a pesantren in Java. In Aceh, the same institution is called as rangkang or meunasah and in West Sumatra surau. 17 Scholars have studied the origin of the term of pesantren. Some argue that the term pesantren derives from the word santri with prefix pe- and suffix –an. It means a place where santri stay. 18 The term santri itselfcomes from a word sastriSanskrit that means literate. It can be understood since santri is literary class trying to obtain deep understanding of religion through 13 Noorhaidi Hasan, Laskar Jihad: Militancy, and the Quest for Identity in Post-New Order Indonesia, Ithaca: Cornell Southeast Asia Program Publications, 2006, p. 13-25. 14 Muhammad Sirozi, , “The Intellectual Roots of Islamic Radicalism in Indonesia: Ja’far Umar Thalib of Laskar Jihad Jihad Fighters and His Educational Background”, in The Muslim World, Volume 95, January 2005, p. 81 15 Azyumardi Azra, Islam in Southeast Asia: Tolerance and Radicalism, Paper presented at Miegunyah public lecture, Wednesday 6 April, at The University of Melbourne, p. 16 16 Ahmad Tafsir,Ilmu Pendidikan dalam Perspektif Islam, Bandung: Remaja Rosda Karya, 1994, p. 91. The oldest existing pesantren in Indonesia according to Martin van Bruinessen is Tegalsari in Ponorogo, East Java. It was established in the eighteenth century. Bruinessenn even states that the pesantren as an institution of Islamic learning as we find it today does not go back much farther than the nineteenth century. See Martin van Bruinessen, “Pesantren and Kitab Kuning: Continuity and Change in a Tradition of Religious Learning,” in Texts from the Islands: Oral and Written Traditions of Indonesia and the Malay World , ed. W. Marschall, Berne: University of Berne, 1994, p. 121– 45. 17 Binti Maunah, Pesantren In The Perspective Social Change, Jurnal Ushuluddin, 2009, 30, 12, p. 256 18 Zamakhsyari Dhofier, Tradisi Pesantren, Studi tentang Pandangan Hidup Kyai, Jakarta: LP3ES, 1982, p. 18. 5 religious books written in Arabic. 19 Other scholars stated that the word santri comes from Javanese, cantrik, which means someone who always follows his or her teacher wherever the teacher goes or stays. 20 Many researchers have already observed the nature of pesantren. The most important among them are: Zamakhsyari Dhofier, his book entitled Tradisi Pesantren: Studi Tentang Pandangan Hidup Kyai, 21 Karel A Steenbrink his book entitled Pesantren, Madrasah, Sekolah-Sekolah Pendidikan Islam dalam Kurun Modern, 22 Marwan Saridjo,his book entitled Sejarah Pondok Pesantren di Indonesia , 23 and Mastuhu, his book entitledDinamika Sistem Pendidikan Pesantren. 24 In his book Tradisi Pesantren: Studi Tentang Pandangan Hidup KiaiPesantren Tradistion: a Study of Religious teacher’s world view , Zamakhsyari studies many aspects of pesantren, including curriculum, educational model, books taught, and so on. Karel A Steenbrink in his book,Pesantren, Madrasah, Sekolah-SekolahPendidikan Islam dalam Kurun ModernPesantren, madrasah, Islamic educational school in modern era ,tried to describe some pesantrens and to seek the origin and the first pesantren established in the history. Although he did not firmly find when the term pesantren emerged at first, he agreed that pesantren is an indigenous Islamic educational institution of Indonesia. In his book, Sejarah Pondok Pesantren di IndonesiaThe History of Pondok Pesantren in Indonesia , Marwan Saridjo described several big pesantrens in Indonesia, including the modern pesantren and salaf classic ones. Mastuhu in his book entitledDinamika Sistem Pendidikan Pesantren The Dynamic of Educational System in Pesantren, based on his field reasearch in six pesantrens Pesantren An-Nuqoyah Guluk-guluk Sumenep Adura, Pesantren Salafiyah Ibrahimiyah Sukorejo Situbondo, Pesantren Blok Agung Banyuwangi, Pesantren Tebu Ireng Jombang, Pesantren Karangasem Uhammadiyah Paciran Lamongan, and Pesantren modern Darussalam Gontor Ponorogo, he studied all aspects of pesantren, started from the actors the Kyai and Santri , the educational system, to the facilities there. According to Manfred Ziemek,as quoted by Mastuhu, pesantren means a place where santri student stays and studiesabout Islam from a kyai religion teacher or ustadh. 25 Educational system conducted in pesantren is in the form of dormitory or boarding. Pesantren is a simple community under the supervision of a kyai who is helped by several ustadzs junior teachers. They all live together with the students. 26 Like other educational institutions that have actors teacher, staff, and student, system and facilities, pesantren has too. ZamakhsyariDhofier describes somebasic components of a traditional pesantren life, which are: the mosque as its religious, social, and educational center,student dormitories pondok, the students called santri, the teacher and pesantren leadercalled kyai, and the study of classical Islamic texts kitab kuning. 27 19 Nurcholish Madjid, Bilik-bilik Pesantren, Sebuah Potret Perjalanan, Jakarta; Paramadina, 1997, p. 19-20 and Yasmadi, Modernisasi Pesantren Kritikan Nurcholish Madjid Terhadap Pendidikan Islam Tradisional, Jakarta: Ciputat Pers, 2002, p. 61. 20 Yasmadi, Modernisasi Pesantren Kritikan Nurcholish Madjid Terhadap Pendidikan Islam Tradisional,p. 62. 21 Zamakhsyari Dhofier, Tradisi Pesantren: Studi Tentang Pandangan Hidup Kyai, Jakarta: LP3ES, 1982. 22 Karel A Steenbrink, Pesantren, Madrasah, Sekolah-Sekolah Pendidikan Islam dalam Kurun Modern , Jakarta: LP3ES, 1986. 23 Marwan Saridjo, Sejarah Pondok Pesantren di Indonesia, Jakarta: Dharma Bhakti, 1983. 24 Mastuhu, Dinamika Sistem Pendidikan Pesantren, Jakarta, INIS; 1994. 25 Manfred Ziemek, Pesantren dalam Perubaan Sosial, Jakarta: P3M, 1986, p. 16. 26 Mastuhu, Dinamika Sistem Pendidikan Pesantren, p. 6 27 Zamakhsyari Dhofier, The Pesantren Tradition: The Role of the Kyai in the Maintenance of Traditional Islam in Java Tempe, AZ: Program for Southeast Asian Studies, 1999, p. 23.See also Ahmad Tafsir, Ilmu 6 Throughout its history, pesantren has contributed to the advancement of society, both mentally and physically. Graduates of pesantren have filled almost all strategic positions in the structure of society. Particularly, according to Azyumardi Azra, there are at least, three functions of pesantren, which are: the transmission of Islamic knowledge, the maintenance of Islamic tradition, the reproduction of ulama. 28 Ulamas have taken a pivotal role, as leader, preacher, as well as patron of society.

III. E