Minister of Religion Expects Regional Workshop to Formulate Education

Beritajowo.com / Jakarta (Kemenag) – Oman Fathurahman, Expert Staff of the Minister of Religion for Media and Communication, representing the Minister of Religion Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, delivered a keynote speech at the Regional Workshop on Religious Education and Prevention of Violent Extremism in Diverse Societies in Southeast Asia: Lesson Learned and Best Practices.

The Minister of Religion hopes that the speakers ‘presentations and participants’ responses in this workshop can discuss two things that are common needs. First, knowledge about the richness and diversity of religious education systems and materials in each country in the Southeast Asian region.

“Second, the best formulation of religious education that can respect and appreciate the cultural diversity of people in Southeast Asia itself,” he said in Jakarta, Wednesday (21/11).

“These two things must be part of our contribution to world peace,” he continued.

This Regional Workshop took place in Jakarta, the result of the collaboration between the Center for Islamic and Community Studies (PPIM) UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). This activity was attended by 300 participants from countries in Southeast Asia, consisting of the government, educators, researchers, and millennials.

According to the Minister of Religion, empirical facts, and academic research show that the millennial generation’s religious understanding is also quite susceptible to being influenced by extreme religious interpretations and interpretations that do not respect differences and diversity. This happens due to the opening of the information system and social media so that the millennial generation youth often accept and devour false and even misleading information.

The Minister of Religion suspects that this phenomenon does not only occur in Indonesia, but also in other countries in Southeast Asia, and is even a global phenomenon. If we don’t think about it together, this condition will certainly endanger peace efforts, especially because Indonesia in particular, and Southeast Asia in general, consists of a very plural and multicultural society: diverse ethnicities, cultures, languages, ​and religions, and thus also means different views and interests.

“I do believe that one of the solutions to overcome the problems above is through the provision of material and a good religious education system, namely religious education that can close differences between differences, religious education that can unite the majority and minority groups, and religious education that does not contrast between religious principles with local cultural wisdom, “he said.

In this context, the Minister of Religion welcomed the activities of the Regional Workshop on Religious Education and Prevention of Violent Extremism in Diverse Societies in Southeast Asia: Lesson Learned and Best Practices, initiated by PPIM and UNDP. The Minister of Religion believes that there is no single religion that teaches violence. Therefore, religious education should create peace, harmony, harmony, and living together in diversity (unity in diversity).