International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS)

086.

Panel Title            : TRANSFORMATIONS OF ISLAMIC EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Chair                      : Takeshi  Kohno

Convener              : Takeshi Kohno

Discussant           :

Panel Abstract    :

As the U.S.-led "the war on terror" proceeds, and the incidents of tragic bombings and killings occur in parts of Southeast Asia, Islamic educational institutions in Southeast Asia face a new reality, including hostile opinions of them and opportunities for them to assert their vision for the future.  This panel, consisting of four junior researchers from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines, present their findings of Islamic educational institutions based on the 2 year-fieldwork in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.  This research was made possible by a grant from the Japan Society of Promotion of Sciences (Grant No. 17402011).  As the Chair, Dr. Takeshi Kohno, Associate Professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo, will present general overview of Islamic educational institutions in Southeast Asia with most recent trends and raise questions regarding tolerance and intolerance in Islamic education.  Dr. Jamhari from Center for the Study of Islam and Society of State Islamic University will present his findings on the gap between traditional teaching at Pesantrens and new demand driven by globalizing world.  Dr. Kamarulnizam Abdullah from School of History, Politics, and Strategic Studies of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia will present his paper on the factors contributing to wide misconceptions on Massarah and Pondok created partially by contemporary political environment.  Professor Julkipli Wadi from Instutite of Islamic Studies in the University of the Philippines, Diliman, will present his paper on the Philippine state's policy toward Muslim minority and their attempt to integrate Muslim education institutions. Given the acuteness of the world's attention to Islamic society, particularly in these research Islamic educational institutions, we believe that there is a strong need for accurate and fair assessment of Islamic educational institutions in Southeast Asia, especially because there has been little systematic and comparative research done on them. Through this panel, we hope to contribute to the accurate understanding of the conditions and context in which Islamic educational institutions operate, and provide an opportunity for more comparative research on Islamic societies. 

Participants         :

Jamhari

Paper Title            : Islamic Education In Indonesia: Creating A New Path

Abstract                :

Indonesia has undergone radical changes in the last decade. Economic, social and political crises started in 1997 followed by the collapse of the New Order brought about challenges in the national unity. In addition to high unemployment, the increase number of poverty, destroyed environment, during and after the crises Indonesia has faced a serious challenge in the emergence of religious radicalism. The rise of some Islamic radical groups and the increased terror bombs are serious problem for the Indonesian government. Beside these serious drawbacks, the crises have provided opportunities for renewal and reform. The installation of democracy in Indonesia is an example of the opportunity for reform.In regard to the challenge of radicalism, Islamic education system has emerged at centers stage. A question on how Islamic education transforms itself to accommodate the trend is an interesting one. This study aims to see the development of Islamic education in Indonesia in answering democratic challenges. Does Islamic education transmit critical thought, understanding of other religion, a participatory, democratic and inclusive approach, respect for humanistic, tolerant, egalitarian and gender sensitive in understanding Islam? Islamic education, especially pesantren and madrasah, faces a national challenge on how to integrate Islamic education to national education. Since the enactment of the new Indonesian education act 2003 that incorporate Islam education into national education system, Pesantren and madrasah have faced serious difficulties. One of the challenge is how Islamic Education can accommodate to new challenges such as contemporary issues such as democracy, civil society and human rights. Another challenge is in the level of management and networking. Most of pesantren are run through traditional management centered on their leaders. A network developed in pesantren is still limited to their environment that creates exclusive nature of pesantren.

Mohd Kamarulnizam Abdullah

Paper Title            : Islamic Education as a Source of Radical Ideologue?

Abstract                :

There are tendency and widespread belief that Islam condones the act of violence. Islamic education, especially through the madrasah and pondok system, has been under intense scrutiny since many so-called terrorists caught recently had undergone some educational training in this type of school. The objectives of this paper are therefore firstly, to analyze whether madrasah or pondok educational system does contribute to the rise of Muslim radicalism by analyzing the curriculum development of madrasah or pondok in Peninsular Malaysia and Southern Thailand. Secondly, the paper also analyzes what are other factors in the ambit of Islamic education system that could explain the phenomenon of Muslim radicalism. Finally, the paper also analyzes whether there are some misconception on Islamic educational system brought about by the madrasah or pondok system. The paper analyzes factors that contribute to the misconception. The hypothesis of the paper is that idiosyncratic factor, i.e. the role of some ustaz or religious teachers has influenced the thinking and perception of madrasah or pondok students. The idea has been quickly digested and logically accepted by these students due to the nature of contemporary political environment locally and globally.

Julkipli Wadi

Paper Title            : The State and Islamic Education in the Philippines

Abstract                :

Islamic education, being one of the most entrenched traditions among Moros and other Muslims in the Philippines, underwent a pattern of developments unique on its own as influenced by global trend of Islamic thought and other external forces in the Muslim world. The integration of the Moroland into the Philippine colonial state impacted heavily on the development, direction and quality of Islamic education even as it got entangled in the politics of identity formation and the Moro struggle for self-determination. As a result, the control of Islamic education became a terrain of contention between the Philippine State and the minority Moros. As part of State's policy of integration, the government was triggered to institute policy and program among Muslims which were intended to mainstream Islamic education into the national educational system of the Philippines. Government integration was anchored on the logic that there could be no two systems of education under a unitary State. It strongly argued that instituting a national system of education is a fundamental function of any government including the regulation of education of minorities and other cultural communities. On the part of the Moros, they argue that their Islamic education is the sine qua non of their existence as a people and the basic edifice of their culture, tradition and values. Moreover, they argue that the preservation, promotion and control of their Islamic education should be left to the Moro people themselves. They are afraid that attempts by other people to control their culture and institutions (e.g., madrasa) would divert them elsewhere, while they fear too that such efforts of integration will always remain short of their aspiration and their own version of progress and development. The Philippine government, however, has been aware that some Islamic institutions particularly the madaris have been swayed by ideological influences in the Muslim world heightening and broadening thus the Moro struggle for self-determination and its attendant ramifications including the increasing impact of political Islam in Southeast Asia and the Philippines. It strengthens the government's resolve that new interpretation of Islam that reflect some vociferations of political Islam by some personalities and some madaris have served as sources of legitimacy and justification of Moro struggle and its new configuration, even as government turned frantic with increasing spread of Islamophobia notwithstanding the pressure (including opportunity) of the US war on international terrorism in Mindanao and other parts of the Philippines. Hence, the government contends that Islamic education must be regulated. In the process of regulation, the government found out that there is a potential in Islamic education that can be use to promote more comprehensive system of national education, even as promoters of integration stumble on other equally important imperatives of promoting Arabic language and Islamic values beyond the traditional homeland of the Bangsamoro people as Muslims spread nation wide (including the Balik Islam -- Filipino Christians converts to Islam) broadening  therefore the logic of Islamic education beyond the traditional cocoon of Moros, their history and struggle. It in this context that the Philippines embarks on a new wave of integration policy and program on Islamic education particularly the madaris aided by international funding agencies that come in hordes with their assistance and project. The traditional terrain of contentions on Islamic education has been magnified with the injection of interest, influence and agenda of foreign institutions and other countries making the issue of Islamic education interspersed with the larger question of Mindanao conflict. It elevates the issue and discourse into new level, even as new impression and perception among stakeholders particularly madrasa owners and faculty are triggered to raise their optimism, pessimism, and cynicism, as the case may be, depending on the points of spectrum they belong to.