Out-class Activities for ‘Santri’ to Grow Religious Moderation

PPIM.UINJKT.AC.ID – “Students of pesantren [Islamic boarding schools] should be given out-class activities to be able to learn about tolerance. [We can] bring them to an airport, for example, so that they won’t be surprised when they see people wearing short pants or less coverings. They won’t have [negative] comments on them,” said Fauziah Fauzan, a Nyai (female leader of pesantren) from Diniyyah Puteri Padang Panjang Islamic boarding school.

She was speaking on Friday (10/7) in a virtual seminar series of #ModerasiBeragama (Religious Moderation) themed “Young Kyai and Nyai Talking about Religious Moderation”, that was organized by the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) of the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta through Convey Indonesia program.

Moderated by Convey Indonesia Team Leader Jamhari Makruf, the seminar also presented Tutik Nurul Janah (Executive Director of FISI IPMAFA and Nyai of Al-Badi’iyyah Women Pesantren in Pati, Central Java) and Irfan Amalee (a Kyai of Peacesantren Welas Asih Pesantren in Garut, West Java).

According to Zizi, of which Fauziah is usually called, in order to learn to accept differences, students should not only focus on in-class activities. Zizi shared her experiences in taking her students abroad, like to Japan and Malaysia, to make them see a lot of differences in society.

“The most important thing is that we still hold our faith, lakum dinukum waliya din [for you your religion, for me my religion]. We just need to respect them and practice Islam rahmatan lilalamin [blessing to all universe]. All of us have our own faith and God. So, we have no rights to bother with other religions. Just appreciate each other,” Zizi said.

On the same occasion, Tutik said teachers should give understanding to their students that people who were different from us were not inferior or wrong. “Letting the students know and meet other people can be a good learning and refraction,” she said,

Irfan, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of teaching the attitude of respect to students since their early ages. “I believe that students should have experience in interacting with people who have different [backgrounds] from their early ages. If it’s too late, they will learn negative judgement and stereotypes first,” Irfan said.

Writer: Andita Putri Ghassani
Editor: Zhella Apriesta