Academics as Antidotes to Prabowo’s Fanaticism Virus
By: Ahmad Harris *
In mid-2016, Yeon Sang-ho, director from South Korea, officially released a film with the Thriller genre which is quite popular with the title Train to Busan. The film tells the story of a man’s journey with his son who is trapped in a train when a zombie virus spreads in the city. City people infected with the virus turn into violent zombies and no longer use their common sense. They only move directionlessly in the crowd to chase uninfected humans. In the film, a daughter and a woman can finally be evacuated by other regional governments. Unfortunately, there is no solution for healing infected zombies in the film.
At first glance the film can be analogous to the condition of some of the Indonesian people currently affected by Prabowo’s fanaticism virus. A number of Indonesian people were in fact infected with the duping virus by ulama who spread provocation and hatred. The results of the doctrine of foreign-graduated scholars who did not understand the spread of Islam in the country began to infect the community with the fanaticism virus against Prabowo as a candidate for President. In this case, the choice of their role model for Prabowo as presidential candidate must be a guideline and must be enforced. Naturally, if the people of Indonesia who are trapped in the fanaticism virus become violent and intolerant with other people who are not as understanding as they are. Conducting persecution, provocation to violence is often the behavior of people affected by this Prabowo fanaticism virus. Of course the conditions that are mutually divided due to this fanaticism virus can bring Indonesia into ruin.
Fortunately, the spread of the fanaticism virus seems to be increasingly suppressed by the presence of academics in the 2019 Presidential Election. Academics who are UI, ITB, UGM, ITS, IPB, UNS, UNAIR, UNDIP, UNPAD, Trisakti University and Atmajaya University alumni finally expressed their position in the Presidential Election 2019 by supporting President Jokowi through a declaration held at the Bung Karno Sports Complex. In the declaration, academics who had not been seen so far were present to voice scientific and rational reasons to support President Jokowi. Through scientific and rational thoughts, the presence of intellectuals in the 2019 Presidential Election will give hope for Indonesia to fight the fanaticism virus that has infected a number of Indonesian people. In fact, people who have been infected with the fanaticism virus have lost their common sense to think rationally so that the presence of these academics in the 2019 Presidential Election is expected to also be able to neutralize the fanaticism of the group.
The joining of the academic movement from leading universities shows that there are still many people who are optimistic and willing to bring Indonesia to progress, not towards extinction. Through this movement, we can see the unity of the struggle of the people and intellectuals to fight the fanaticism virus and the duping used by Prabowo’s camp. The presence of these academics spread a considerable enthusiasm for both President Jokowi’s victory and Indonesia’s victory against the fanaticism virus. Like an Antidote, that is the presence of academics as an antidote to neutralizing the Prabowo fanaticism virus that has infected a number of Indonesian people. Unlike the ending on Train to Busan, in the end Indonesia will be able to fight while curing the fanaticism virus from the Indonesian people.
* FISIP Student at the Dharma Agung University