Reviving Religious Modesty in the Face of Radicalism Ideology: The Experience of SMA Al-Azhar Menganti Gresik, Indonesia

Abstract

By radicalising educational institutions, this study would like to see an overview of the development of radicalism ideology in educational institutions, as well as the response of teachers in forums across Religious Secondary Schools (SMA) and National Secondary Schools (SMK) in East Java. Sekolah Menengah Al-Azhar Menganti Gresik, one of the educational institutions based on the pesantren system, has held a programme to restore religious moderation as a solution to radicalism. The emergence of the aforementioned programme has piqued the interest of researchers in conducting an objective analysis of school strategies for promoting religious moderation among students. This study employs a qualitative approach with a case study approach at SMA Al-Azhar Menganti Gresik, as well as data collection techniques such as observations, interviews, and documentation. Miles and Hubarman analysis was used to perform objective analysis. Objectively, the study’s findings indicate that the process of reviving religious moderation requires strong support from educational stakeholders in private schools, specifically foundations. The importance of the top-down model in implementing rehabilitation programmes on religious moderation, as Giddens and Singh explain, determines the success of educational institutions in combating the radicalism movement. Keywords: Religious Modesty; Radicalism Ideology; Experience of SMA Al-Azhar Menganti