Overcoming Religious Prejudice Among Indonesian Students Through Islamic Education Based on Religious Maturity

Abstract

Religious prejudice adorns socio-religious issues in Indonesia, including on state university campuses. Some Muslim student activists are very aggressive in calling non-Muslims and minority Islamic sects as infidels. Their negative prejudice is that Christians and Hindus are infidels because they have three Gods. The Shi'a are heretical because they prioritize Imam Ali over the Prophet. Ahmadiyah is not Islam because they believe in Mirza Gulam Ahmad as the Prophet. However, their accusations have no reliable basis. Meanwhile, mature and religious students have positive and tolerant attitudes. The research aims to counteract religious prejudice in Muslim students through Islamic education based on religious maturity—a mixed-method research method. The research instrument is an inventory of religious prejudice and religious maturity. The research respondents were 300 Muslim students in Bandung and Palembang. The research results show that the religious maturity approach in Islamic education has effectively prevented religious prejudice in students. Before college, half of the respondents had a prejudice against non-Muslims and minority Islamic schools. But after college, their unfavorable discriminations diminished. They say that among non-Muslims, some believe and deserve to go to heaven. Shi'a and Ahmadiyya are both Muslims. The implication is that Islamic education based on religious maturity needs to be implemented in universities.