Strengthening Religious Moderation to Counter Radicalism at IAIN Surakarta

Abstract

Religious moderation discourse in Indonesia has recently attracted the attention of many parties, especially academics. Moderation means in the middle-center, neither to the right nor the left. In religious issues, religious moderation does not involve radicalism, fundamentalism, and liberalism. It is congruous for religious higher education to be a laboratory of religious moderation. It embeds national ideas, critical thinking constructs, multiculturalism values cultivation, and the peaceful delivery of spiritual messages. This research discusses the implementation of religious moderation at IAIN Surakarta. The internalization of moderation values to students is channeled through Bilik Moderasi Islam dan Adab (BIMA) of the Faculty of Adab and Language. This study employed descriptive qualitative methods with progress reports. It concluded the existence of several channels of moderation at the institutional level. BIMA became one of the pioneers of the religious moderation movement in the faculty. The prevention of radicalism was done in some ways. They establish moderation insight courses, conduct monthly studies on moderation, and create moderation digital creative content. Not only that but also BIMA certificates became the requirement of munaqosah. Besides, the progress report of the moderation index measurement showed the effect of BIMA coaching on the increase in the student moderation index. Based on the survey, most students also suggested maintaining the religious moderation education.