By: Abdul Karim )*
Students have an important role in countering radicalism. With the involvement of students, the spread of radicalism can be maximally suppressed.
Students are agents of change who are expected to make changes in a positive direction. The student movement has been known since the old order era, even during the war of independence. Students also played an important role in the reform era by demonstrating and changing the new order to the reform order.
Nowadays, the role of students is even more important. They not only go to campus to study, but also learn to organize and do social work, as well as support government programs. One of the students’ important missions is to prevent radicalism from spreading in Indonesia, because this understanding can undermine the country from within.
Muryanto Amir, Chancellor of the University of North Sumatra invites students to counter radicalism, especially in the campus environment. Student participation is very important in countering radicalism. The position of students who are pursuing higher education is prone to being exposed to radicalism, because they are looking for identity.
Therefore, Muryanto Amir supports religious moderation in the campus to counter radicalism. With religious moderation, it will prevent extremism that leads to radicalism and terrorism. Students can also promote religious moderation as a way to counter radicalism.
The role of students in countering radicalism can be done in several ways. First by observing the surrounding environment. Don’t underestimate the observation because if you’re observant, the student can prevent his classmates or schoolmates from being swept up in the flow of radicalism, because on average the recruits are the lonely ones.
Students can also observe in the campus environment, is the student activity unit building really being used for organizational learning or is it being misused as an arena for spreading radicalism? The reason is because there could be a member of a radical group who infiltrated and then promoted there. If there is, it can be reported so that there is a strong reprimand from the campus.
This student report is very important because it is possible that the one who infiltrated the student activity unit room was a fugitive terrorist in disguise. If he is caught, he can be forwarded to the police and there is a legal process that applies. Therefore, students should not be careless, but must be careful wherever they are.
Another role of students in dealing with radicalism can be done on social media. For example, if there is an Instagram or Facebook account that turns out to be radical, it can be reported immediately so that the account is forcibly closed by the party managing the social media. In this way, he also prevents people from being polluted by radicalism in cyberspace.
On the other hand, students can share or viral positive news to counter radicalism. For example news about the introduction of religious moderation, mutual tolerance, respect, and tepo seliro, etc. That way, netizens will read the news and realize that peace is more important than the divisions brought about by radicalism.
Students also always promote within the campus environment and their families that radicalism is very dangerous. The caliphate country is only a fantasy in broad daylight because it is not suitable if applied in Indonesia, which has a pluralistic society.
Students can play an important role in countering radicalism, both on campus and in other environments. He is an agent of change, therefore he should not be ignorant, but try to be thorough and participate in eradicating radicalism, even in the smallest circles. Radicalism must be abolished in Indonesia so as not to destroy this country.
)* The author is a contributor to Pertiwi Institute
