With intolerance on
the rise in Indonesia, Islamic boarding schools, known as pesantrens , are
proving fertile ground not only for the spreading of radicalism, but also for
efforts to counter it.
Search for Common Ground, an international NGO that
aims to foster better conflict-resolution, started a program last year that
fosters messages of peace and tolerance from the hearts of pesantren students.
“This program is a peace campaign, an education in
tolerance and differences that is aimed at pesantren students,” Search for
Common Ground program officer Suraji told the Jakarta Globe.
Suraji, a pesantren graduate himself, is aware of how
Islamic schools are in the spotlight as suspected breeding grounds for
terrorism. He referred to the “accidental” explosion that rocked Umar bin
Khattab Islamic Boarding School in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, last year.
Also recently revealed was a network of schools linked
to radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, who is serving a 15-year jail sentence for
funding a terrorist group that was planning attacks against Westerners and
political leaders.
Bashir ran the Al Mukmin pesantren in Ngruki, Central
Java, which was said to be a recruiting ground for would-be suicide bombers and
militants.
Among the school’s graduates were Amrozi, Ali Imron
and Ali Ghufron who played vital roles in the 2002 Bali bombings. Amrozi and
Ali Ghufron were executed in 2008. Ali Imron is now serving life in prison.
“Indonesia has more than 20,000 pesantrens and should
be seen as a strategic target for educating tolerance and peace. They should
have a more active role in peace campaigns,” Suraji said.
Peace campaigners are turning to community radio to
spread their message because it has the potential to reach most local
residents.
“People are already familiar with radio broadcasts. In
areas that are blindspots for television or print, community radio thrives,”
said Adi Rumansyah of West Java Community Radio Network (JRK), a consultant for
the program.
Adi said that community radio stations win easily over
bigger radio stations when it comes to community ownership.
“It broadcasts local content, so local residents can
send their greetings to each other,” Adi continued.
Pesantren community radio, he added, can strengthen
social bonds since many people look up to local religious leaders. “Having a
pesantren community radio opens a channel of interaction between pesantren and
the people living around it,” Adi said.
And what better message to broadcast than one of peace
and tolerance?
Partnering with the Wahid Institute, the Society for
Pesantren and Community Development (P3M) and JRK, Search for Common Ground
engaged 10 pesantrens, from Banten, Tangerang, Bogor, Tasikmalaya, Cirebon,
Cilacap, Solo, Lamongan, Palembang and Makassar. The program started in
September 2011 and will run until next year.
“Search for Common Ground provides them with the
hardware and radio equipment. Then we invite several students and a tutor for a
five-day training course in Jakarta to help them with the basics of how to run
their own community radio station,” Suraji explained.
The training is not just on broadcasting and
journalism, he added, but also on peaceful Islamic values.
“For the first two days we re-introduce them to the
importance of tolerance and respecting differences, that Islam should be
rahmatan-lil-alamin [blessing for all creation],” he said.
“We also chose pesantrens that are already familiar
with the concept, but located in areas that are prone to conflicts,” he said
when asked about their target group.
Surveys by rights groups revealed that West Java has
the highest level of religious intolerance, followed by Central Java, Banten
and South Sulawesi.
After the training, Search for Common Ground conducts
quarterly monitoring of the 10 pesantrens, while seeking opportunities to
engage more pesantrens in the program.
Nur Ridho, 31, a participant from Solo, said Central
Java was home to many Islamic schools groups. “I am glad that our pesantren was
chosen for this program,” he said. “I hope that this can help us spread the
message of peace.”
Ulma Haryanto
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