The Politics 0f Religious Education
Turning to Islamic Religious Education, we observe that the 2013 Islamic education curriculum contains many new materials when compared with KTSP curriculum. Particularly in grade X, the new materials accentuate the affirmation of Islamic identity through (a) the need to cling to the Qur’an, hadith and ijtihad as sources of Islamic law, (b) the regulation of dress, and (c) the revitalization of missionary endeavors (dakwah).6 These three topics above are not found in the KTSP. The KTSP curriculum only explains the sources of Islamic law but, in the 2013 curriculum, the sources of Islamic law are limited only three: the Qur’an, hadith and ijtihad of previous scholars. Such limitation reduces and makes superficial the richness of Islamic thought, leading to exclusivism and stagnation of thinking as well as the rejection of new interpretations and the renewal of the teaching of Islam in response to contemporary issues. In addition, the 2013 Curriculum also regulates behavior, especially with regard to Islamic clothing in everyday life. Given the detail of the 2013 Curriculum and how little space it leaves for the possibility of the differences in interpretation, it is no surprise that it offers no freedom for dissent within Islam about how to dress, especially regarding the limits of what must be covered. Associated with the revitalization of dakwah (missionary endeavor), the 2013 Curriculum confirms the nature of Islam as a religion of the mission. The material on dakwah in the KTSP curriculum was only concerned with the history of the preaching of the Prophet Muhammad during the Medina and Mecca periods, while the 2013 curriculum has more discussion on how it should be done in the contemporary context. Lack of Reflection on or Spirit of Respect for Diversity
Considering the diversity of Indonesian society, it is essential for religious education to cultivate an attitude of appreciation for differences without marginalizing the strengthening of each believer’s commitment to his or her own religion. As indicated in the teacher and student books, Catholic Religious and Character 6 See: Pendidikan Agama Islam dan Budi Pekerti SMA/MA Kelas X. Jakarta: Kementrian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, 2013.
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