INCORPORATING ISLAMISM INTO SECULAR EDUCATION SYSTEM: An Attempt of Gradual Islamization of the State and Society by an Indonesian Tarbiyah Movement in Jambi

Suaidi Asyari (State Islamic University, Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi)

JOURNAL OF INDONESIAN ISLAM
Vol 11, No 1 (2017)

The downfall of the New Order regime in 1998, which was soon followed by the liberalization policy in almost every aspect of politics, opened vast opportunities for the emergence of political expressions including Islamism into the public space. While violent responses indicated by some Islamic groups, who take advantage of the weakening of the state, Tarbiyah Movement (harakah tarbiyah) consistently performs gradual Islamization through the system provided by the state. Based on a field research in Jambi, Sumatra, this article discusses the efforts undertaken by the group to incorporate their Islamist ideas into secular education system at the levels of primary and secondary education. This article argues that these all efforts are part of Islamization process of society and the state in Indonesia after the failure of its leaders in doing the same thing at the political level especially in the aftermath of the 1999 general election.