Serang, UIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin Banten, SPs NEWS - Religious moderation is not a project, but a struggle for the entire Indonesian nation. Indonesia, which has a pluralistic and spiritualistic character, must be managed properly so that both characters are productive and contribute to the nation and state of Indonesia. Religious moderation plays a role in that. Therefore, religious moderation is needed at all times. This was emphasized by Suwendi, a lecturer at the Graduate School (SPs) and the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training UIN Jakarta who has also been involved as the Religious Moderation Working Group of the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia, in a Lecturer Discussion activity organized by the Faculty of Ushuluddin and Adab UIN Banten, Serang 11/11/2025.

According to Suwendi, the socio-religious construction behind the birth of religious moderation did not only occur in the past. However, this has the potential to happen at any time, if we do not take care of good religious views, attitudes, and practices.

Extreme religious views, attitudes, and practices, subjective truth claims and will-to-will, as well as conflicts of religion and the state in various dimensions and levels can occur at any time. Moreover, the religious capacity of the community that is not qualified and articulates it disproportionately has the potential to give birth to religious extremism.

Religious moderation is present to counteract this. "What is moderated is their religious views, attitudes, and practices. It is not his religion that is moderated. Because, every religion is believed by its adherents to be moderate. However, religious practice and expression by religious people is not necessarily moderate," said Suwendi.

For this reason, according to Suwendi, Islamic religious universities (PTKI) need to transform and strengthen religious moderation to all relevant stakeholders, including by learning design and strengthening multicultural education. "In the context of learning design, students are not only encouraged to know what diversity is, but also how students can understand the reality of diversity in their environment and in society, and be able to interact reasonably in that environment," said Suwendi.

Concretely, students are invited to visit directly and dialogue with people of different religions, including to educational institutions that they manage. "Intolerance between religious people often arises due to a lack of dialogue and lack of communication between them. This condition gives rise to an attitude of antipathy so that in turn it gives birth to mutual blame," said Suwendi.

This Lecturer Discussion activity was attended by lecturers and education staff within the Faculty of Ushuluddin and Adab UIN Banten. Also present were the Dean, Masykur, vice deans, heads of study programs, heads of centers, Chairmen of the House of Religious Moderation, and a number of other academic communities.