LP Ma'arif NU: Religious moderation is a solution to understanding religion in the midst of national diversity

Tasikmalaya, NU Online

The Ma'arif NU Educational Institution (LP Ma'arif NU) held a Workshop and Training on Religious Moderation for High School / Vocational High School Teachers in Tasikmalaya West Java, Wednesday-Friday, November 17-19 2021. The workshop was the result of collaboration with the Directorate of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) of the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs.

 

The chairman of the LP Ma'arif NU, KH Zainal Arifin Junaidi (Kiai Arjuna) explained that religious moderation was a middle way solution in understanding and practicing religion in the midst of a pluralistic nation.

 

"Therefore, religious understanding should not be too textual, because it will produce a conservative religious understanding. In addition, it should not be too contextual because it will produce a liberal religious understanding," said Kai Arjuna at the opening ceremony in a press statement received by NU Online on Wednesday (17/11/). 2021).

 

He emphasized that the potential of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) in instilling the character values ​​of religious moderation was not in doubt. The reason is that these values ​​have been integrated into all subjects taught in educational units within the LP Ma'arif NU.

 

"Such values as ​​tawassuth (moderate), i'tidal (middle path), tasamuh (tolerant), shura (deliberation), ishlah (peace), qudwah (pioneering), muwathanah (love of the homeland), la' unf (nonviolence), i'tiraf al-'urf (culture friendly)," he explained.

 

He also said that LP Ma'arif NU had very strong potential in literacy, religious moderation and nationality so that it has a clear and firm attitude.

 

"(NU's view of) loving for the homeland is part of faith, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) is the final form of the country we aspire to," he said.

 

In addition, NU also holds three brotherhoods (ukhuwah), namely ukhuwah islamiyah, wathaniyah, basyariyah. The spread and the strengthening of religious moderation have to be more taken into account and massive because NU has some 23,370 Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) under the NU Pesantren Association (RMINU); 43,718 Muslimat NU Kindergartens, and 274 universities. Meanwhile, there are 21,045 schools and madrasas consisting of 13,213 madrasas and 7,832 schools.

 

Kiai Arjuna explained that the character values ​​given to students were such as curiosity, national spirit, religious, honest, tolerance, discipline, hard work, creative, independent, democratic. Then, social care, love for the homeland, respect for achievements, communicative, love peace, love to read, care for the environment, care about social.

 

In the development of religious moderation, according to him, it must also be packaged in an attractive manner and according to the contemporary needs, at the lowest possible cost but with a large impact, affordable places, and promoted by using media that allows it.

 

The workshop and training was attended by 30 PAI teachers from SMA and SMK throughout Tasikmalaya, facilitated directly by the LP Ma'arif NU and the Branch Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PCNU) Team in Tasikmalaya City. The event was also guided directly by the facilitators of the LP Ma'arif NU Team such as Soleh Abwa, Harianto Oghie and the PAI Directorate Facilitator Team Yanto Basri and Khoirul Anam.

 

At the opening, also present and making the remarks were the Chairman of the PCNU of Tasikmalaya, Assistant 1 of the Mayor of Tasikmalaya, and the Head of the Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Tasikmalaya.

 

Reporter: Kendi Setiawan

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq