Discussion process RBC Institute A. Malik Fadjar (Photo : Istimewa) |
A literacy-based community movement platform in Malang,RBC Institut A, Malik Fadjar held a discussion entitled Youth Leadership and Islamic Populism in Indonesiaat RBC Learning Space, Malang on Wednesday (19/11) last week.
This discussion involved three expert speakers, they are Subhan Setowara, Dimas Oky Nugroho and M. Khoirul Muttaqin.
Islamic populism has emerged in Indonesia in the last two decades, one of them which is marked by the increasing number of religious symbols in the public sphere. In addition, the appearance of Habib Rizieq Shihab and religious leaders who took part in the Defense of Islam Action (ABI) several years ago, has also become a marker for the vibrant Islamic populism in this country.
Their presence also interrupts the religious authority of religious leaders who have affiliations with mainstream Islamic organizations such as Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), so that this movement creates new fragmentation in the flow of Islamic movements in the country.
The focus of the discussion is to see the leadership position of young people in the midst of the current developing Islamic populism. Do young people feel fortune with this current or vice versa. According to the Executive Director of the RBC Institut A. Malik Fadjar, Subhan Setowara, in a democracy like nowadays, populism mustbe eexisted. If democracy is the voice of the people, then populism movements should be in the name of the people’s voice.
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He added, between populism and algorithms there has been a marriage. When young people use social media and are trapped in one of the drift, then they will be trapped in populism in social media. "For that, in responding to the discourse of populism, young people must be critical," said Subhan.
On the same occasion, the Founder of the Kader Bangsa Fellowship Program, Dimas Oky Nugroho, said that when talking about Islamic populism in Indonesia, it is precisely what happens to this movementthat always fails.
According to Dimas, the failure was becausetheexpectation was not the people but the ummahonly. Then, the imagination of the ummah always collides with socio-economic realities. And then creates gaps.
Despite the imagination of the ummah, Islamic populism is also thick with the politicization of religious issues for interests and struggles at the elite level. Then the issue was made in such a way for grassroots circles.
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Meanwhile, young Muhammadiyah activist M. Koirul also explained that the failure of Islamic populism in Indonesia is because Islamic populism is always represented by leaders who sin politically and historically. Starting from this, populism did not last long. Because what characterizes populism is not enoughas role models to follow. In fact, it opens up gaps and spaces for bullying.
This is evidenced by the rejection of the youth towards Islamic populism led by Habib Rizieq lately.
“In the end, these spaces must be filled and replaced by young people who do not have historical sins. And, of course, prospective young leaders in the future must have critical reasoning to deal with all discourses, including discourses on populism, "added Khoirul. (nain / can)