The emergence of terrorism has disturbed the pesantren community because the issue has created a negative stigma for Indonesia’s pesantren. On this basis, a polemic emerged among the public regarding the involvement of Islamic boarding schools in the terrorist movement.
Several parties were against the authorities plan to investigate the pesantren. This plan seems to insult Pesantren as religious, educational institutions that were sacred and needed to be protected.
On the other hand, the supporting parties argue that for the sake of law enforcement and to prove that Pesantren is not involved in terrorist movements. Therefore, it is permissible for the authorities to investigate suspected ones with the proper procedures. As a result, the debate on theory has shifted from crimes against humanity to become a religious issue.
The question that arises then is, is it true that pesantren become a nest of terrorists? How should Islamic boarding schools respond and respond to these accusations? This question is essential to answer to avoid stigmatisation of Indonesia’s pesantren. Furthermore, this question will clarify the relationship between Islamic boarding schools, Islamic movements, and terrorism, thus minimising unrest among pesantren regarding the emergence of terrorism issues. Besides that, it can also straighten out public misunderstandings about the pesantren group.
Struggle Base
Pondok Pesantren is a unique educational institution because of its long existence and the religious institution’s culture, methods, and networks. Because of its uniqueness, Clifford Geertz calls it a subculture of Indonesian society (especially Java).
During the colonial era, pesantren became the basis for the struggle of the indigenous-nationalists; Most of the time, Pesantren kept lots of resistance to the colonials. Pesantren as religious education has a clear social basis because it has been well integrated with the community since its inception.