Youth, Education, and Islamic Radicalism

Mun'im Sirry
Paperback, 364 pages
9780268207649

Religious Intolerance in Contemporary Indonesia

Youth, Education, and Islamic Radicalism offers groundbreaking analysis of religious intolerance and radicalization among high school and university students in modern-day Indonesia.

Indonesia is one of the most diverse countries in the world in terms of religion, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, but also in the complexity of its education system. Youth, Education, and Islamic Radicalism examines the roots of religious intolerance among young Indonesians and explores the various ways in which educated youth navigate radical ideologies amid growing religious conservatism.

The book presents nuanced explanations as to why one person becomes radicalized while another does not, calling into question the common assumption that religious radicalism is directly connected to terrorism. It problematizes the notion that the university is a significant hub, trigger, or birthplace of radicalization by asking: What makes education attractive for extremist recruitment? What shapes students’ views? Under what circumstances do radicalization and deradicalization processes of educated youth take place? Youth, Education, and Islamic Radicalism identifies a constellation of factors that shape young people’s views of religious diversity in Indonesia, demonstrating the ways in which they become radicalized in the first place, and how, in some cases, they deradicalize themselves.

Contents
Part 1. Religious Intolerance at High Schools
1. Youth and Halfhearted Tolerance
2. The Influence of Social Networks on Religious Tolerance
3. Fragile Civility in Schools
Part 2. Radicalization at Higher Education
4. Religious Radicalism in the Making
5. Reluctant Radicals and Violent Extremism
6. Self-Deradicalization of Educated Youth
Part 3. From Cyber-Radicalization to Hate Speech
7. Student Vulnerability to Online Radicalization
8. Religious Intolerance and Antisemitic Discourses