Islamic education tends to be marginalized

Medan, NU Online
Scholars of Islamic education should be able to find and formulate a new format to prevent graduates in religious subjects from being  "marginalized" especially in the global competition.

"It is necessary to both reorganize and reconstruct scientific method in Islamic higher education institutions," said official in of Medan, Rahudman Harahap as opening the Cooperation Forum of Islamic Higher Education Institutions of Southeast Asia in Medan, on Friday.<>

So far, said Rahudman, Islamic higher education institutions in Southeast Asia seemed to be put aside for not having the ability in the global competition. In addition, the institutions were also perceived negatively for allegedly producing radical groups.

Because of that, he said, the Cooperation Forum of Islamic Higher Education Institutions of Southeast Asia should be able to produce new concepts and formats in the education world. One of the formats was able to bear the Islamic higher institutions' graduates having capability to master modern human values.

However, he expressed an optimism that all this could expectedly be addressed by participants of the scholarly forum. "Moreover, the participants are academics whose international quality," he said.

Chairman of the Cooperation Forum of Islamic Higher Education Institutions of Southeast Asia, Prof. Dr. Harahap syahrin said the forum was intended to find a new format in dealing with Islamic education. "No Muslim who wants to be accused of masterminding the terrorism," he said.

Syahrin said, the results of the meeting would be submitted to the government in each country, including Indonesia as a recommendation in regard with Islamic education methods.

"Principally, we want graduates of Islamic universities to be capable of giving blessings for the universe," he said

The forum was participated by some 200 lecturers across Southeast Asia. (nam)