Protecting Our Universities

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Azyumardi Azra

In the last few weeks, one of the most-reported and most-discussed national issues was radicalism in our universities. Regardless of semantic and substantive debates on radicalism, the phenomenon was highly worrying for everyone. The National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) and research bodies such as Jakarta State Islamic University’s Center for Islamic and Social Studies (PPIM UIN) and the Alvara Research Center, have reported increasing radicalism in universities nationwide.

Despite these reports applying different scales of radicalism among college students and lecturers, it is difficult to deny that radicalism exists. Based on the questionnaires used in these surveys, “radicalism” is described as having several parameters and indicators. Certain ideologies spreading in our universities may have all or just some of these parameters.

The first of these parameters is a transnational ideology based on creating a dawlah Islamiyah (Islamic state) or a caliphate to replace the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, Pancasila and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). For supporters of radical ideology, an Islamic state or caliphate is the proper political system to resolve all political, economic and sociocultural problems.

The second is a takfiri attitude, or considering those of the same religion but having different religious views and practices as heathens. This takfiri attitude reflects an intolerance and open enmity toward adherents of different religious school of thought, such as Ahmadis and Shias.

The third is deeming tolerance and having a good relationship with adherents of other religions as haram. For these people, other religious adherents are obstacles in the effort to achieve perfect kaffah (implementation of Islam).

University managements may not fully understand these parameters along with their elaborations through highly complex religious arguments. Specialized education on Islamic thinking and movements is necessary to understand the phenomenon in its entirety.

In this context, it is understandable that some university managements are responding to the phenomenon of radicalism reactively and defensively. In my conversations with several university leaders, I found a tendency to underestimate the phenomenon of radicalism in their colleges. They acknowledge that radicalism is happening but they believe that its reach is limited.

From such a perspective, it can be understandable how certain universities conducted policing. On Friday (8/6/2018) last week, Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University (UGM) temporarily suspended two lecturers from their structural positions for having radical views. Previously, on Wednesday (6/6/2018), Diponegoro University in Semarang took similar action against one of its professors.

Such were contingency policies to protect their respective universities. Obviously, they do not want their universities to have a negative image as a breeding ground for radical views. However, these contingency policies are far from enough and will not be able to resolve these problems to its roots.

Having been developed in the late 1970s or early 1980s, radical views found their momentum in the early years of the Reform Era. A combination of the liberalization of domestic politics, the globalization of religious politics and revolutionized communication and academic freedom provides ample space for radical views to blossom in universities.

The spread of radical views in universities was also related to the fact that post-Soeharto administrations have never done much to curb them. On the other hand, political fragmentations have led political elites to let these radical groups grow or even nurture them for certain political interests.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was the first to address this phenomenon of spreading radicalism through issuing Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perppu) No. 2/2017. The Perppu, which banned radical group Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), was approved by the House of Representatives as the law on mass organization.

Perppu No. 2/2017 can serve as momentum to be firmer in fighting radicalism — including in universities. The Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry has been active enough in safeguarding universities from the threats of radicalism. However, some of these efforts can be counterproductive, including the idea to register the cell phones and gadgets of lecturers, students and other members of the academic community. If the ministry goes ahead with this plan, then the ministry and university leaders will effectively be the big brothers that monitor everyone in an Orwellian society.

Therefore, strategies and ways based upon values of civility are necessary to safeguard universities from radical views.

Azyumardi Azra, Professor of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta and a member of the AIPI Culture Commission