- Title: Indonesia school teaches importance of tolerance
- Date: 7th November 2016
- Summary: BOGOR, WEST JAVA PROVINCE, INDONESIA (RECENT - OCTOBER 23, 2016) (REUTERS) ASSALAM BOARDING SCHOOL ENTRANCE SCHOOL SIGN READING (English) "LOVE ALL THINGS ON EARTH AND THE ONE WHO IS IN HEAVEN WILL LOVE YOU" ASSALAM BOARDING SCHOOL LEADER, ALI QOHAR, TEACHING STUDENTS STUDENT LISTENING QOHAR TEACHING CHILDREN LISTENING TO QOHAR CHILDREN RECITING KORAN (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) HEAD OF ASSALAM BOARDING SCHOOL, ALI QOHAR, SAYING: "In the scope of child development, we always try to limit and simplify their education with subjects related to affection, so children will grow up and only know that people live and should love each other, people should have tolerance." STUDENTS READING IN LIBRARY STUDENT READING BOOK TITLED (Bahasa Indonesia) "ISIS NOT ISLAM" STUDENT READING BOOK TITLED (Bahasa Indonesia) "HARMONY IN DIVERSITY" COVER OF BOOK TITLED (Bahasa Indonesia) "SMART YOUNG GENERATION, PREVENTING TERRORISM" BOARDING SCHOOL CHILDREN WELCOMING JAKARTA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL STUDENTS VARIOUS OF CHILDREN GREETING EACH OTHER VARIOUS OF STUDENTS FROM ASSALAM BOARDING SCHOOL AND FROM JAKARTA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL SINGING AND DANCING TOGETHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) JAKARTA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL STUDENT, KATRINA DIMALANTA, SAYING: "Like these people are some of the nicest people I know, I wouldn't define their personality based on what their religion is, so I think that what you say about a lot of people thinking that Muslims are terrorists and stuff like that, that's not true at all because these are some the most loving, the most warm people that I know so, I hope that a lot of people learn not to judge people based on their religion." VARIOUS OF STUDENTS DANCING AND SINGING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSALAM STUDENT, SITI SALMAH SAYING: "We have to respect others even though in a different religion, even though in a different culture. I want to share my knowledge, I want to change their opinion about another people from another country." FOREIGN VOLUNTEER TEACHER FROM ENGLAND, TESSA, TEACHING AN ENGLISH CLASS STUDENT LISTENING TO TESSA STUDENT WRITING ON WHITE BOARD CLASSROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOREIGN VOLUNTEER TEACHER, TESSA, SAYING: "If people just accept what they are told without questioning without checking their religious texts then often that can lead to radicalism, so I think it is often ignorance. So that is why at Assalam, one the things I love is that the emphasis here is on study and learning, so if you have a question about your religion or about anything you need to study, you need to understand and from there I think most religions actually teach tolerance not radicalism." VARIOUS OF TESSA TEACHING STUDENTS
- Embargoed: 22nd November 2016 13:33
- Keywords: Indonesia education school tolerance religion
- Location: BOGOR, WEST JAVA PROVINCE, INDONESIA
- City: BOGOR, WEST JAVA PROVINCE, INDONESIA
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Education,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA00157G2OGL
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Tackling radical views through education, that's what one school in Indonesia is doing.
At the Assalam Boarding School in Indonesia's Bogor, children aren't only taught about Islamic studies but they're also taught about the importance of promoting tolerance and diversity.
The school uses different textbooks to raise awareness about the growing trend towards radicalisation in the world's most populous Muslim country.
Indonesian authorities have raised concerns about a recent resurgence in radicalism, driven in part by a new generation of militants inspired in part by Islamic State.
Police say a worrying trend has emerged where teenagers are radicalised online and urged to carry out violent attacks.
The school encourages its students to learn from books that teach them how to recognise and prevent terrorism. There are also classes on how to surf online to avoid radical material.
"In the scope of child development, we always try to limit and simplify their education with subjects related to affection, so children will grow up and only know that people live and should love each other, people should have tolerance,'' said school head Ali Qohar.
As part of the curriculum pupils also have the chance to mix with students from other schools.
Their latest meeting was with a group from the Jakarta International School. Students spent time learning from each other and playing games together.
"These people are some of the nicest people I know, I wouldn't define their personality based on what their religion is, so I think that what you say about a lot of people thinking that Muslims are terrorists and stuff like that, that's not true at all because these are some the most loving, the most warm people that I know so, I hope that a lot of people learn not to judge people from their religion," said Katrina Dimalanta a student from the Jakarta International School.
"We have to respect others even though in a different religion, even though in a different culture. I want to share my knowledge, I want to change their opinion about another people from another country,'' added 17-year-old Assalam student Siti Salmah.
The school also employs teachers from overseas, another way to encourage diversity in the students' education.
"If people just accept what they are told without questioning without checking their religious texts then often that can lead to radicalism, so I think it is often ignorance. So that is why at Assalam, one the things I love is that the emphasis here is on study and learning , so if you have a question about your religion or about anything you need to study, you need to understand and from there I think most religions actually teach tolerance not radicalism," said volunteer teacher Tessa.
Many of Indonesia's known radicals are graduates of Islamic boarding schools. One in particular, the Al-Mukmin Ngruki boarding school in the central Javanese city of Solo is known to have links to several radicals, including the alleged mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombing, Abu Bakar Bashir. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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