The Role of Pesantren in the Prevention of Terrorism and

Radicalism

Nama: Farah Nabila Griselda

Asal: Provinsi Banten

Cabang Lomba: Pidato Bahasa Inggris

Assalamualaikum wr.wrb.

-Opening dua / Muqaddimah –

Firstly, all praises to the almighty god Allah SWT who has given us mercies and blessings until
we can meet in this faithful place.

Secondly, Shalawat and Salam we give to our prophet Muhammad SAW who had brought us
from the era of jahilliyah to the modern era just like today.

Thirdly, I would like to say thank you to the honourable judicators, teachers, brothers, and
sisters who have given me a chance to deliver my speech to you all under the title:

The Role of Pesantren in the prevention of terrorism and radicalism

Ladies and Gentlemen!

As you know, although around 88 percent of the Indonesian population is Muslim, Indonesia
is not an Islamic state ruled by Islamic law. The majority thus approves of a secular democracy and
pluralist society. Separatists movement operating in Indonesia, such as Darul Islam Indonesia, Gerakan
Aceh Merdeka and the Organisasi Papua Merdeka were often held responsible for terrorist attacks
such as bombings and shootings. More often than not, the pesantren is associated with terrorism and
radical Islam. Yet, despite all of the negative attention, the pesantren is still poorly understood outside
the world of sociology, religion, or anthropology.

So, what actually is the definition of Terrorism? According to the US code of Federal
Regulations, Terrorism means the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to
intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of
political or social objectives"

The term pesantren goes back to Indonesia’s Hindu-Buddhist roots. “per-santri-en, ‘the place
where the wise men were”. Primarily, but not exclusively, located in rural areas, pesantrens provide a
place for study where pupils can receive religious instruction from a kyai.

As you know there are so many incidents of terrorisms and radicalisms in Indonesia way back
from the 90s until today. For example:

 1962: Assassination attempt/Bomb attack on President Sukarno in Cikini, Central Jakarta.

 1978: TNT attack on Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta.
 2018: A police station in Pekanbaru, Riau was attacked by five individuals armed with swords.
 2018: Suicide bomb in the police gate of Surabaya.

When they are told, ‘Do not cause corruption on the earth,’ they say, ‘We are only
reformers!’
So, from these incidents of terrorisms and radicalisms, what contribution can pesantren give to
Indonesia?
 One example is on May 25, 2018: the Centre for the Study of Religion and Culture (CSRC) UIN Syarif
Hidayatullah, Jakarta held a seminar “The Role of Government and Pesantren in Countering
Terrorism / Extremism.”

The seminar was held in the context of the May 2018 terrorist attacks involving 17 people, in three
churches in Depot, West java. The aim of the seminar was to discuss the background, to develop
solutions for the attacks and to strengthen the role of Pesantren in the propagation of a peaceful
Islamic doctrine in order to prevent such violence and extremism.

KH. Jazilus Sakhok (The Alliance of Pesantren for Peace Coordinator) agrees pesantren as one of
the largest educational institutions in Indonesia, helps the dissemination of a peaceful and tolerant
teaching. He also said that he was optimistic that the values of Tawassuth, Tawazun and i'tidal as
Pesantren's slogan are an attempt to combat extremism.

Reports from media implicate pesantrens promote violent and extremists views and providing a
training ground for terrorist activities. Quite the opposite of what is often portrayed in the media, the
pesantren, in many ways, acts as a stabilizing force within Indonesian society.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

The pesantren is an essential part of many Indonesian communities. It disseminates ideology, both
religious and political, through the key community services because it provides such education for the
community’s youth.

Pesantrens provide the ideological underpinning for societal stability and disseminate an ideology
that emphasizes moderation, tolerance, and religious harmony – all themes that buttress stability in
a diverse country like Indonesia.

The pesantren is viewed as an institution of permanence that will always protect the children of
the community. Pesantren is also a place where ideas are produced and disseminated. Through this
role, the pesantren plays an integral part in the development of Indonesia’s Islamic civil society.

Pesantren students and leaders are often expected to provide religious instruction and perform
religious services for their communities, not performing terrorist acts.

If leaders at Islamic institutions believe they have a stake in the system, they will be less likely to
want to destroy it. Rather, they will interact with the government peacefully to gain the biggest benefit
for their followers.

Contrary to popular belief, pesantrens, act as indigenous barriers to radicalism. Their activities
and their ability to speak provide benefits to the largest number of followers as a measure of the
overall health of civil society and therefore its ability to inhibit the rise of radical networks.

Therefore, I would like to end this speech by giving a quote by Syeikh Ali Jumuah, “Terrorism
cannot be born from religion, it is only a product of an illogical reason, a hard heart and an arrogant
soul.”

Wassalamualaikum wr. Wb.