ACDPINDONESIA Education Sector Analytical and Capacity Development Partnership

Policy Brief
April 2016

Promoting a Culture of Peace through

Islamic Religious Education

A culture of peace is a combination of values, attitudes, Islamic religious education can play an important role in
and behaviors that are not compatible with violence promoting the culture and values of peace

Nurturing a culture of peace can help to mitigate conflict Improving the quality and relevance teaching and
caused by religious radicalism learning of Islamic religious education is a key strategy

Radical ideology is primarily targeted at youth who Indonesia is currently in the process of revitalizing
are exploring ideas about the meaning of life and their its training of Islamic religious education teachers to
personal identities support this strategy

Photo: Pusat Informasi dan Humas Kementerian Agama 1

 ACDPINDONESIA Education Sector Analytical and Capacity Development Partnership
WHAT IS A CULTURE OF PEACE?
A culture of peace is a combination of values, attitudes and
behaviors that are not compatible with violence. Values of peace
are built on principles of freedom, justice, democracy, tolerance
and social cohesion. Values underlying a culture of peace refuse
the principle of using violence to avoid conflict. Instead, these
values emphasise resolving conflict through assessment of the
fundamental problem and seeking solutions through dialogue
and negotiation.
Values inherent in a culture of peace encourage people to
exercise their human rights and to partake in community
development. The international importance of a culture of
peace was established through the United Nations Resolution
No. 53/243 on the Declaration and Action Program on the
Culture of Peace, October 1999.
WHY PROMOTE A CULTURE OF PEACE
Every day, about 4,200 people around the world die from
violence caused by conflicts triggered by the emergence of
radical ideologies. Most of these victims come from low and
middle-income economy countries.
Countries with a pluralistic population, in terms of religion,
ethnicity, language and culture, can be particularly prone
to conflict. Tensions may be triggered by a variety of events
including political, economic and social incidents. Indonesia
may be susceptible to this, particularly given the rise in the
influence of religious radicalism, reportedly reaching around
30% of students in secondary schools.
Values of peace, taught as a way of life, should be introduced in
schools from the early levels. However, teaching and nurturing
these values should not be the sole responsibility of education
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service providers. These values need to be carefully cultivated
by all elements of society.
WHY AND HOW ARE STUDENTS INFLUENCED BY
RADICAL IDEOLOGY?
Radical ideology is primarily targeted at youth, in particular
those who are exploring ideas about the meaning of life and
their personal identities. Students tend to be easily influenced
by ideologies and interested in activities offered by radical
community organizations because these organizations use
more creative and attractive methods compared to Islamic
religious teaching in schools. Mass media (especially television),
parents and family members, neighbors and extracurricular
activities of the students may also spread radical ideologies.
One of the most effective channels through which the influence
of radicalism is spread is the school extracurricular activity of
the Islamic discussion forum (ROHIS). Reasons for this include:
Training is conducted through mentor and ‘tutor’
relationships
It has the support of a solid alumni network and the
organization provides a meeting venue free of charge
It promotes the content of Islamic religious education
through training methods and materials that youth find
attractive, and links training with free instruction in other
subjects
It adopts academic approaches such as book reviews,
seminars, discussions and semi-academic activities in
schools, mosques or other meetings, and
It presents Islamic religious education by associating it with
a modern lifestyle or the lives of youth
Photo: PIH Kemendikbud
 ACDPINDONESIA Education Sector Analytical and Capacity Development Partnership

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS done without placing emphasis on the doctrines or practice of
EDUCATION? any one particular religion. Instead, religious education aims
to build inter-religious understanding, social cohesion, critical
Formal Islamic religious education can play a major role in thinking skills, social and moral development.
promoting the culture and values of peace. Since 1966, religion
has become a mandatory subject in Indonesia, taught in the STRATEGIES FOR PROMOTING A CULTURE OF
national curriculum, from the basic to secondary levels of PEACE IN INDONESIA
education as well as in Madrasah. However there are a number
of obstacles to Islamic religious education effectively promoting The analysis outlined above was developed through a research
a culture of peace. study supported by ACDP under the leadership of the Directorate
Current national policy and practice does not provide enough General of Islamic Education, Ministry of Religious Affairs
support to Islamic religious education to enable it to play (MoRA). The study generated a number of recommendations
this role. Islamic religious education is primarily focused on including the following:
shaping students into people who believe in and are pious to
God Almighty, in other words, people who are good religious Developing national policy to better integrate the culture
devotees. and values of peace into Islamic religious education
Islamic religious lessons in secondary school are highly oriented Enriching the content of Islamic religious education
to aqidah (belief ), based on the study of naqliyah (scriptures) in secondary school curriculum design based on the
and ideological content, with little content on the values of a interpretation of rukun iman (pillars of faith) and rukun
peaceful culture. Some of the values and principles that promote Islam (Islamic five essential pillars) from the perspective
peace are already embedded in the curriculum, but they of the values and culture of peace and drawing on global
generally not well implemented. The teaching methodology Islamic history and the history of Islam in Indonesia
used by Islamic religious teachers tends to be less attractive
Improving the professional competence of Islamic religious
to students due to its tendency to be normative, doctrinal and
teachers to make learning in classroom more interesting to
traditional. An important means to improve the effectiveness of
students
Islamic religious education is therefore to improve the relevance
and quality of pre-service and in-service training for Islamic Improving pre-service Islamic religious education teacher
religious education teachers. programs at universities including selection and curricula
Nurturing mentors of ROHIS in Islamic religious education
HOW DO OTHER COUNTRIES PROMOTE VALUES while also promoting Islam that is a rahmatan lil alamin (a
OF PEACE IN SCHOOLS? blessing towards the universe)
Strengthening coordination between the Ministry of
The culture and values of peace have been integrated into Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Culture
religious education in schools around the world. The way in to proactively develop appropriate textbooks that promote
which this is achieved varies in accordance with the context of the culture and values of peace
these countries’ respective social, cultural and religious histories
and environments. Strengthening collaboration between the Ministry of Home
Affairs and local governments regarding the implementation
In Malaysia, where the majority of citizens are Muslim and Islam of national policy on religious education
has been declared the state religion, education on the culture
and values of peace has been integrated into Islamic religious
education through the development of a humanistic Islam. As
it is taught in Malaysia, Islam instructs on the value of tolerance
and uses the perspective of global Islam. For non-Muslim
students, these values are taught through character-building
education and physical education.
Morocco, a monarchy based on an Islamic constitution,
introduced a murshidat program to promote the values of
tolerance and mutual respect in the spirit of the Islamic Sufi.
This program is aimed at involving women in the education of
Islamic tolerance, introducing changes to the code of conduct
for women to support women’s rights and providing training for
the Dai (Islamic extension missionaries).
In the United Kingdom, education on the values and culture of
peace is implemented through religious education, but this is

Photo: MoRA

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 ACDPINDONESIA Education Sector Analytical and Capacity Development Partnership

Photo: MoRA

PUTTING STRATEGIES INTO PRACTICE

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has been actively putting
strategies into practice. The National Medium Term
Development Plan, 2015-19, emphasises the values and
culture of peace through religious education, and specifically
includes the development of religious attitudes and behavior
that promotes tolerance and mutual respect among people
of different religions. This has established a strong basis for
integrating the values and culture of peace into religious
education in schools.
Most significantly, with support from ACDP, MoRA is revitalizing
Islamic religious education teacher training through
development of training design, modules and materials that are
planned to be ‘rolled-out’ nationally to over 145,000 teachers.
An improved training approach was developed through
sending 30 candidates to the Center of Islamic Studies at the
University of Oxford. On their return these national trainers, in
cooperation with experts in teaching methodology and Islamic
religion, developed and piloted training programs based on
a more active learning and problem-solving methodology.
Training started across a number of provinces in 2015 and is
being scaled-up in 2016.
Other important initiatives have included a National Jamboree
for 2,000 ROHIS mentors in Jakarta and futher planned similar
programs, and establishing cooperation with around 80 public
and private Islamic higher education institutions for conducting
training on Islamic teaching-learning methodologies.
Discussions have commenced with the Directorate of Islamic
Higher Education at MoRA on the adaptation of the training
model to reform pre-service training programs for Islamic
religious education teachers at Islamic higher education
insititutions throughout the country.

ACDP

The Government of Indonesia (represented by the Ministry of Education This Policy Brief was developed from the study of Education in the Culture
and Culture, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and the Ministry of National and Values of Peace in Islamic Religious Education at the Secondary School
Development Planning / BAPPENAS), the Government of Australia, through Level (ACDP 009), supported by ACDP in 2014 & 2015.
Australian Aid, the European Union (EU) and the Asian Development Bank
ACDP Secretariat
(ADB) have established the Education Sector Analytical and Capacity Devel-
Ministry of Education and Culture
opment Partnership (ACDP). ACDP is a facility to promote policy dialogue
National Office for Research and Development
and facilitate institutional and organisational reform to underpin policy im-
(BALITBANG)
plementation and to help reduce disparities in education performance. The
E Building, 19th Floor
facility is an integral part of the Education Sector Support Program (ESSP).
Jl. Jend. Sudirman Senayan, Jakarta 10270
EU’s support to the ESSP also includes a sector budget support along with
Phone : (021) 578-51100, Fax: (012) 578-51101
a Basic Education Minimum Service Standards capacity development pro-
Email : secretariat@acdp-indonesia.org
gram. Australia’s support is through Australia’s Education Partnership with
Website : www.acdp-indonesia.org
Indonesia. This policy brief has been prepared with grant support provided
by the Government of Australia and the European Union, through ACDP.