Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi: A Future of UIN Jakarta’s Alumni are Wide Open

Main Auditorium, UIN News Online – Alumni of UIN Jakarta are no need to worry about what they will do after they graduate, because their future are wide open in front of their eyes.

This was conveyed by the Commissioner of KPU Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi MA while giving a speech during the 105^th UIN Jakarta Graduation Cermony, at Harun Nasution Auditorium, campus I of UIN Jakarta, Tuesday, (8/29/2017). “Many choices can be taken by UIN Jakarta’s alumni, it's just how far you set your goals, and how deep your effort in reaching the goals,” said Pramono.

Pramono is an alumnus of the Faculty of Sharia and Law of UIN Jakarta class of 1997 which currently becomes a member of KPU RI. He was deliberately asked to give a speech in capacity as an alumnus of UIN Jakarta.

“In addition to ustadz, there are many UIN Jakarta alumni who pursue other professions such as bureaucrats / civil servants, businessmen, NGO activists, bankers, judges, lawyers, psychologists and politicians,” said the former student activist.

Pramono said political and religious life in recent years has grown in a rather alarming direction. Political antagonism developed in such a way. Everyone seems to be faced with only two choices, group A or B. It seems there is no room for neutrality. And unfortunately, the political antagonism goes hand in hand with the black-white, halal-haram, or Muslim-infidel issues.

“These are worrisome, because it may threaten social cohesion and integration. People who had been close friends suddenly hated each other. Those who were formerly in harmony, suddenly lost their trust,” he added.

According to Pramono, the depth of religious understanding and the breadth of scientific insight should encourage the alumni to be tolerant of differences, and regard it as merely a sunatullah. He said that he felt indebted to the lecturers who had sharpened the insight by teaching the diversity of the flow in fiqh and ushul fiqh, kalam, tafsir, and hadith.

Alumni UIN Jakarta will never lose its relevance in society. Nowadays a big challenge for alumni is how to spread moderate, tolerant, open, and friendly Islamic ideas. Such attitudes are crucial to continue to foster an increasingly mature democratization process. Democracy is not possible on the basis of anti-democratic attitudes. Democracy will not move forward in a society where tension and conflict still affect both social and political relations.

Sustained democracy can only grow in a society filled with tolerant cultures where harmonious interreligious and ethnic relationships become the foundation for the existence of society itself. In a a diverse country like Indonesia, substantive democracy will only survive when pluralism is addressed with both openness and tolerance.

“Therefore, UIN Jakarta alumni must be at the front in  keeping the democracy in Indonesia from being misused by anti-democratic groups who want to develop ideas that are not in line with Islam values itself,” he explained. (usa)