Critical Thinking Necessary to Prevent Radicalism: Minister Anies
6 February 2016 19:24 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Education and Culture Minister Anies Baswedan said that people must develop a critical thinking to prevent radicalism.
“Deviant thinking needs to be prevented by critical thinking. If we had it, any illogical ideology would not stand a chance,” Anies said in a seminar of Islamic education in Jakarta on Saturday, February 6, 2016.
Anies emphasized that generalizing Islamic schools as the source of radicalism was not right.
Education expert Fasli Jalal echoed Anies’ statement that one way to prevent radical ideologies was to uphold openness.
“Actually, it’s the essence of human psychology. Children during their puberty always want to try something different,” Fasli added.
Therefore, Fasli added, the more opened children to life challenges the more opened they would be to accept information and to discuss it. As a result, Fasli said, they would be stronger against negative influences.
“When a child is indoctrinated with a dogmatic ideology, then a new and attractive influence that seems to be rational comes, he would be on the frontline carrying a bomb strapped to his body,” he said.
ANTARA
