International Journal of Cultural and Religious Studies
Latest Publications

As many previous studies tend to discuss the biography of local Islamic figures and overly-textual interpretation in exploring the Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia and criticize the western concepts of democracy in Gorontalo, this study aims to explore the newly-found dynamics of contestation of local Islamic thought in Gorontalo Province. Conducting in Gorontalo, a northern province in Sulawesi Island inhabited mainly by Muslim communities, this study employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive method. In the present work, the discourse of Islamic thought in Gorontalo is found to develop into a massive and uncontrolled state, leading to polemics among the Muslim community in the area. The polemics among people, including in the social media, involve two groups that are ideologically and epistemologically different: the liberal Islamic groups, i.e., ANSOR and PMII, and the fundamental Islamic groups, i.e., Tablighi Jamaat and Wahdah Islamiyah. Issues of religion-culture debate, khilafiyah, religious pluralism, and prohibition of Christmas salutation are among the main highlights of the polemic, especially among Muslims in Gorontalo. The presence of fundamentalists represents the new phenomenon in the Islamic thought discourse in Gorontalo, which is known for its subjectivity in perceiving the absence of the basic principles or nash (Qur'an and hadith) of the fundamentalists. Consequently, a debate between the two groups, claiming which one has the absolute truth, is inevitable. This situation also ends up with fundamentalist extremism labelling others as infidels (takfiri) and deviant to Islamic teachings.

This study uses Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis to examine the meaning of the advice contained in Gurindam Twelve chapter 3 by Raja Ali Haji. This study uses a qualitative research method with an interpretive approach. This research is classified as interpretive research because it relies on interpreting texts associated with ideological, moral, cultural, and spiritual values. The researcher aims to analyze the meaning of the advice in Gurindam Twelve chapter 3 in its semiotic aspect and relate the relevance of the importance of the advice in Gurindam conveyed to today's society. From the study results, it can be concluded that in Article 3 Gurindam Twelve, the meaning of the denotation is the cause and effect of protecting human organs to avoid harmful and useless things. Guarding human organs, but in its meaning, it is not merely teaching organs. From the interpretation of these organs, it means a habit, nature, work which, when we do not take care of it, will cause harm to ourselves and even to others. The myth in chapter 3, Gurindam Twelve 3, contains self-control advice for the reader. In addition, the Twelve Gurindam Article 3 contains Islamic religious values in terms of morals and etiquette. This is evidenced by the verses of the Qur'an and hadiths that are relevant to the meaning contained in this Gurindam Twelve Aat 3 advice. In addition, the advice in article 3 of the Gurindam Twelve is relevant to be a life guide for today's society.

This article examines the application of Sufism values ​​contained in the figure of Hadrotus Sheikh KH Ahmad Shahibulwafa Tajul Arifin or known as Abah Anom in relation to environmental conservation. As is well known, the ecological crisis that is occurring in the modern era is fundamentally influenced by a crisis of perception or wrong view of nature. Nature is seen only as a material object and is not sacred. This article reveals that Sufism is the right alternative as a solution to overcome the environmental crisis. Sufism, with its teachings on the unity of existence, harmonization of the relationship between God, nature, and humans, and ethics based on divinity and noble values ​​can become a new paradigm in looking at nature holistically and can be the answer to modern human problems that are the main cause of the crisis. environment. One form of application of the application of Sufism values ​​in environmental conservation can be found in the figure of Hadrotus Sheikh KH Ahmad Shahibulwafa Tajul Arifin or known as Abah Anom. As a Sufism practitioner who views life in a unified and holistic way, Pangersa Abah Anom not only has the view that natural preservation must always be maintained and interpreted, but he also applies this view through concrete actions so that it has a direct, concrete impact. The paradigm and attitude that he applies in preserving nature can be categorized as eco-sufism. Eco-sufism is an idea that emphasizes the spiritual aspect of understanding and utilizing nature and contributing positively to sustainable development. The real manifestation of the implementation of eco-sufism from Pangersa Abah Anom can be seen in his efforts to build a water reservoir called the Nurmuhammad Dam, as well as reforestation with various plants in the Pondok Pesantren Suryalaya area.

Language is present as a form of crystallization of the values of civilization and mediating and directing the orientation of the movement of civilization. Therefore, language becomes an important and interesting variable to be studied and revised scientifically for the preservation and progress of civilization. The Republic of Indonesia has an official language used by its citizens, namely Bahasa Indonesia. This language aims to unite the Indonesian people who are multicultural or have ethnic and cultural diversity so that no distance separates fellow Indonesian citizens from hundreds of tribes, according to the 1928 Youth Pledge Convention. The thing that must be realized now is the use of the Indonesian language which is getting weaker. The weakness is not that it is not used at all but that foreign terms are included in public discussion, and it tends to be considered more prestigious to be used. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method that refers to the sources of literature and the results of previous studies. The existence of Indonesian can decline when most Indonesians are happy and proud to use a foreign language that is considered more respectable and classier. However, the current condition of the existence of the Indonesian language is still in a safe stage. Bahasa Indonesia can continue to exist while preserving it by following the prevailing context and linguistic rules and developing its construction according to the needs and desires of civilization.

This study aimed to describe the belief system between Christianity and Tribal religion in Hukurila’s ritual. The data descriptions were based on the Washing Country as a physical act of traditional rituals and combined with their beliefs as Christians. The object of this research was the Hukurila community, South Leitimur District, Ambon City, especially in the practice of washing the country ritual. This study used hermeneutic analysis as the text result was positioned as an ontology fact. Furthermore, the text was an ontological fact by objectifying its structure to look at forms in community values. The results showed that the Washing country not only taught about the role of ancestors in the history of the children of the Hukurila country but also revealed critical reasoning that highlighted the role of humans in nature conservation. The Washing Country promoted environmental preservation as a part of social piety.

Empirical studies have unequivocally and consistently shown that rape myths are integral to the aetiology of sexual coercion and aggression. The present article reviews the literature on rape myth acceptance as an important risk factor in the sexual victimization of women and a precursor for a hostile social attitude towards victims of rape. Through the examination of the verbal reactions of the Moroccan public to the case of rape and torture of Khadija “the tattoo girl” (fata:t lwaʃm) on YouTube, it attempts to assess and debunk specific examples of rape myths present in the Moroccan sociocultural context. Discussion focuses on the social perception of female victims of sexual violence and the measurement and evaluation of its physical and psychological impact on them. Victims' emotional responses and psychic trauma constitute an important part of this discussion. Findings suggest the existence of immanently cultural rape myths, such as “the myth of the willing victim”, “it is impossible to rape a resisting woman”, and “women are prone to make false allegations”, along with deleterious victim-blaming cultural stereotypes, such as “she was asking for it”. Another noteworthy finding this paper presents is the social requirement of conspicuous "psychological/emotional harm" to legitimize the status of the victim.

The origins of human culture and the foundation of freedom can be traced back to the religious nature of the species. Human ability to create an entirely worldly one, separate from the great synthesis, came only after a long period of experimentation and thought. Certainly, this is seen as a positive development in the current conception of culture and its historical context. Today, it is being debated whether the detachment of human work-from science to morality to education to the state to economics to art-from religious connections and connections has been beneficial both to culture itself and to human personality progress in the direction of higher concrete achievements and human development. The author utilized deductive reasoning to create a link between religion and the aspects of culture and the foundations of freedom in this research work, which uses a qualitative technique based on a deductive research methodology.

There is no separate discipline of ethics in Islam, and the comparative importance of reason and revelation in determining moral values is open to debate. For most Muslims, what is considered halāl (permitted) and harām (forbidden) in Islam is understood in terms of what God defines as right and good. There are three main kinds of values: (a) akhlāq, which refers to the duties and responsibilities set out in the shari‘ah and in Islamic teaching generally; (b) adab, which refers to the manners associated with good breeding; and (c) the qualities of character possessed by a good Muslim, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad. Among the main differences between Islamic and western morality is the emphasis on timeless religious principles, the role of the law in enforcing morality, the different understanding of rights, the rejection of moral autonomy as a goal of moral education, and the stress on reward in the Hereafter as a motivator of moral behavior. An Islamic life system cannot be conveyed only by using verbal suggestions, verbal warnings but also necessary means that can form a complete cultural network. In this regard, intense dialogue with various existing values ​​is needed to bring about a paradigm shift in thinking in the form of symbols that can be applied in local cultural life. The method of cultivating Islamic values ​​demands conditions for improving the quality and performance of Muslim humans who have these values. Islamic values ​​that are properly understood will function as a compass for the direction where and how to live a modern life full of changes in values. Islamic values ​​will still play an important role in the future, especially in providing a moral foundation for the development of science and technology. Religious teachings must be brought closer to the context of modernity.