Soul of Islam Series #3 - Understanding Indonesian Pesantren: an Exploration from Within

Soul of Islam Series
Number Three - Understanding Indonesian Pesantren:
an Exploration from Within

Monday, 21 August 2006

Third in the continuing Soul of Islam Series of Lectures, organised by the Australian Education Foundation, the Islamic Council of Victoria and Asialink, Suparto spoke on Understanding Indonesian Pesantren: an Exploration from Within.

Indonesian pesantren, or Muslim boarding schools, have been a part of Indonesian Islam for hundreds of years. Suparto told a diverse crowd of academics, students and members of the general public that pesantren are traditionally reputable institutions, spreading literacy, traditional knowledge and independent thought. In recent times many have come to associate pesantren with names like Amrozi and Imam Samudra. Suparto cited Australian newspapers as an example of western assumption that Islamic schools were little more than breeding grounds for extremism, Islamic militants and terrorists.

Suparto looked at changes in the pesantren over time, changes in the curriculum and how presantrens are dealing with an ever-globalising world.

Suparto is a lecturer at the Indonesian State Islamic University (UIN) in Jakarta, recently completing a thesis on the remaking of pesantren. Earlier this year Suparto won a Doctoral Completion Scholarship supported by Monash University.

Listen to the recording of Ms Suparto's presentation [iLecture recording]

Asialink, The University of Melbourne

Soul of Islam Series #3 - Understanding Indonesian Pesantren: an Exploration from Within