Deterring Religious Radical Behavior and Attitude with Multicultural Value Vuewed from Social Communication Perspectives

Abstract

This study aims to obtain an overview of the multicultural education implementation, the attitudes and behaviors of santri (an Indonesian term for someone who follows Islamic religious education in pesantren), and the internalization of the multicultural values by the santri. This is descriptive qualitative research employing observations, interviews, documentation, and focus group discussions as data collection techniques and narrative as the qualitative data analysis technique. The research results suggest that: (1) almost none of the santri had fanatical attitudes and behaviors towards one’s opinion without acknowledging others’; no one demanded others to carry out what was not their obligation; no one was being harsh and rude beyond reasons, and no one considered people with diferent perspectives as enemies; and (2) multicultural values ​​are internalized through Manhaj al-Fikr (a thinking method), and the presence of a multiculturalist Kyai (an Islamic cleric) that embodies the multicultural knowledge to counteract radicalism. Furthermore, multicultural action is internalized through Manhaj al-Haraki (a movement method) and various religious activities.