Nurfika Osman – A newly established organization of scholars has declared war against the extremism that has penetrated the academic world.
"Radicalization and fanaticism, if they flourish among academicians, will be very dangerous and disadvantage Indonesia because this country has put its hope on the shoulders of academics," Franz Magnis-Suseno, a Catholic priest and prominent theologian from Driyarkara School of Philosophy, said on Monday at a discussion in Jakarta.
"The academic world should be a place where people can study pure, clear ideas; become an open-minded person; competitive and brave – and all these values are threatened by radicalism," Franz said.
Franz is a one of the 72 intellectuals who form the Academic Guardians of the Nation's Pillars (APPI), an organization established at the end of April specifically to counter the perceived rise in radicalism in schools and universities.
The group also counts former Constitutional Court chairman Jimly Ashiddiqie and Azyumardi Azra, a professor of history at Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University (UIN), among its members.
Recent weeks have seen increasing concern over the presence of radicals, such as members of the outlawed extremist Indonesian Islamic State (NII) movement, in the country's boarding schools and universities.
Rumadi Ahmad, program coordinator at the Wahid Institute and an academic from UIN, said that this serious threat should be fought immediately.
"[The NII] labeling Indonesia as a thogut [infidel] cannot be ignored by anyone, especially when they have penetrated campuses," Rumadi said. "Allowing this radicalization and agreeing with the idea of establishing NII is an extreme idiocy."
Rocky Gerung, a philosophy expert from University of Indonesia, said that as citizens, the people of this nation should recall the Sumpah Pemuda (Youth Pledge) from 1928.
"We have agreed that we are the sons and daughters of Indonesia, recognize one motherland and nation and respect one language. We have never made any agreement that religion should be one. This is our commitment," Rocky said. "Our county is lacking ethics of care and justice, that is why violence continues to occur," he said.
He said that four pillars of the country – Pancasila, or the state ideology; the 1945 Constitution; the national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity); and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) – were an absolute.
"We cannot debate something that has been put in our Constitution," he said, adding that religious radicalism in Indonesia was a result of a war between those who supported and protested religious freedom.
Nasaruddin Umar, the Ministry of Religious Affairs' director general for Islamic affairs who also joined APPI, said that UIN Syarif Hidayatullah had changed significantly compared to the time when he studied and became deputy rector between the 1970s and 1990s.
"Yes, we [at UIN] have always thought progressively and our campus used to be a place where students could do any activity for 24 hours, but now I do not know what is happening between the corridors of the campus," Nasaruddin said.
In order to curb radicalism, he said that the Ministry of Religious Affairs was in the process of discussion with the rectors of Islamic state universities nationwide as well as Islamic schools on what kind of concrete steps could be taken.
"The key is in the management of each campus and school, and the curriculum, especially for Islamic studies," he said. "We are now rushing with the time and we do not want our actions to be too late."
A week ago, Education Minister Muhammad Nuh summoned 60 rectors of state universities and 20 coordinators of private colleges nationwide to discuss strategies to clamp down on radicalism on campus.
Musliar Kasim, the chairman of Indonesia's Council of State University Rectors [MRPTNI] said that they had taken several actions so far.
"We are now guarding each student by seeking help from their academic lecturers, including to report their daily activities regularly," Musliar said. "We have asked lecturers and student executive bodies to be active to make all students participate in campus activities."
He also said it had become compulsory for students to participate in activities outside of the classroom. "And when the extracurricular groups are going to invite groups from outside the campus, they have to secure permits," Musliar said.