Although Indonesia adheres to democratic principles, it is currently trapped in a situation where a new system of government based on Islam is emerging. Extreme ideologies dominate society, affecting both the general public and political elites, and have even infiltrated the younger generation through the education system. The movement of mobilizing people in the name of religion in the political realm shows that extremism has spread and strengthened. As a result, radicalism and extremism have become global issues that need to be studied academically. In response to this, The European Center for Populism Studies (ECPS) and The Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation (ADI) collaborated to organize a seminar with the theme "Mapping Global Populism" on Thursday, May 25, 2023, through the Zoom Meeting platform.
Pradana Boy ZTF, Ph.D., a lecturer in the Islamic Family Law Study Program at FAI UMM, was one of the presenters at the event. The session was moderated by Ihsan Yilmaz (Research Professor and Chair of Islamic Studies and Intercultural Dialogue at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation (ADI), Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia), who invited Pradana to begin his presentation in session 3 with the sub-theme "Religious Populism and Radicalization in Indonesia," titled "Radicalism, Extremism, and Civilizationalist Populism in Indonesia."
In his opening, Pradana explained the political aspects of populism in Indonesia, the empirical dynamics of populism in Indonesia, and how in this digital era, the internet has become a new public space where any discussion, including religious discourse, can take place. This shift has had a significant impact on religious life in Indonesia and, more specifically, in the political dynamics of the country.
The hypothesis presented by this academic from Lamongan was that the emergence of the internet as a public space for religious discussion has led to a fundamental shift in the discourse of intelligence from the elite realm to the popular realm. When religious discourse becomes public or popular, it not only changes the way Islam is studied but also undermines the traditional hierarchy of religious authority.
"Islamic symbolism is prioritized by sidelining the values of Islam and combined with the dominance of conservatism in religious literacy populism. This digital reality potentially contributes to the spread of extremism and radicalism. The internet as a space for Islam is one of the dynamics of religious life influenced by the digitalization of human life, where the internet has become a primary source of Islamic learning for the public. Religious literacy populism has contributed significantly to filtering the maturity of religious existence in Muslim society," said Pradana, who currently serves as the Deputy Dean of FAI UMM. (LA)
ISLAMIC FAMILY LAW
