RELIGIOUS RADICALISM PREVENTION EFFORTS BASED ON CAMPUS MOSQUE AT HIGHER EDUCATION IN MAKASSAR INDONESIA

Abstract

With the war against terrorism and increased attention on the Muslim around the globe, this article aims at explore the efforts of Muslim students in Indonesia at higher education to understand their role to take a part in radicalism prevention in peace making, and contribute to create harmony. The students as participants of this study are to work in areas of religious deradicalisation and promote religious tolerance activities. Despite the post terrorist suicide bombings in Bali in October 2002; at the Jakarta Marriott Hotel in August 2003; and at the Australian Embassy in September 2004, Indonesian government, Islamic organizations, and other civil society organizations have conducted many programs on counter-terrorism campaigns, anti-radicalism ideology, and methods in religious radicalism prevention. There were fifty three participants in this study. The participants of the study comprised students from 4 universities based in Makassar, Indonesia. These were Universitas Negeri Makassar (UNM), Hasanuddin University, Bosowa University (Unibos), Universitas Muslim Indonesia (UMI), Universitas Muhammadiyah (Unismuh) Makassar. The participants of the study were the members of Pesantren Kilat “Place of the Santri”. The results of the study revealed that Pesantren Kilat at mosque campus is potential place for preventing terrorism and religious radicalism. The data of the study obtained from questionnaire and interview reveal that the students’ religious studies at mosque campus are far from radicalism and terrorism practices. They therefore behave to maintain harmony and tolerance through religious studies at Pesantren Kilat at mosque campus. They strongly believed that Islam is a religion which promotes harmony and tolerance “Islam” is rahmatan lil a’alamin (Islam brings blessing to all people, animal, and nature).