VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Terrorism and violence often occur anywhere, including in Indonesia in the reasons of poverty, social matter, ethnicity, and religion. Indonesia is now building a civilization through a religious side based on Islamic education to counter radicalism and violence. Referring to building a tolerant and moderate Islam that is counter-violent, the government of Indonesia is establishing the International Islamic University of Indonesia (UIII). The construction of the UIII was inaugurated through the launching of Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 57/2016 on Establishment of International Islamic University of Indonesia.

In laying the first stone of UIII Campus construction at RRI Cimanggis Complex, Depok, West Java on Tuesday, June 5, President Joko Widodo said that the UIII campus construction has a goal to really become the center of study and research of Islamic civilization, considering Indonesia is the world’s largest number of Muslims. This Islamic campus has been planned since 2 years ago with the construction cost reaching Rp 3.5 trillion and this construction is one of the government’s national strategic projects.

Meanwhile, Minister of Religious Affairs, Lukman Hakim Syaifuddin hopes that the establishment of the campus will reduce the intolerance that occurs everywhere, including amid Indonesian people. He said that students studying at this campus will explore Islamic values, ​​specifically by studying and developing Islamic studies. Through their study, he hopes that Islam can be better understood in accordance with the essence and substance that can improve humans’ civilization. He also hopes that the establishment of the International Islamic University of Indonesia can contribute positively to Indonesia in a bid to participate in monitoring the civilization of the world.

Professor of State Islamic University, Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Asep Usman Ismail said that Indonesia is the productive object of spreading the seeds of radicalism exhaled from abroad. So, strengthening educational institutions to counter radicalism includes three points. They are in the family, school and community. He perceived that the educational institutions are not only formal education, but also non-formal one.

Indeed, with the ability of human common sense, we can distinguish the good and the true by relying on cultural values, ethics and custom that come from the family milieu. Then if someone undergoes a low education, he or she will have difficulty in understanding or interpreting a teaching. Therefore, the establishment of the International Islamic University of Indonesia by the government is aimed at creating moderate graduates who can think in the way of Islam and this should be appreciated. In addition, the government of Indonesia plans to send the priests and scholars of UIII graduates to Western countries to provide a moderate and tolerant Islam that refers to the universal Islam. The academics and priests graduated from UIII are expected to promote tolerant, friendly and moderate Islam to the international world. Thus, this will make Indonesia as a major center of Islamic civilization.