Back to Geertz: Why We Need Radical Students Jonathan Zilberg, Ph.D.

UIUC-USA, UIN-Jakarta

Irony
Irony the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning . . . . A literary style employing ironic contrasts for humorous or rhetorical effect.
The American Dictionary, 2nd ed, 1982

Your Leaders
Your Jihad
You are here in graduate school to read , to do research and to submit a decent thesis. Unless you are radically committed to reading critically and widely, doing solid research and learning to effectively communicate the results of your work, you should not be here! Sure, you can call me a radical fundamentalist academic and I command the same of you!

This student is from Lombok She is radical!

Watch Out!

Campus Resources

Read, Read, Read Be Radical About It!

Have you read these?

Hows your English, Arabic, Dutch or German? Can you read Jawi? Get Radical!

What about these?

Do you read the media every day and go on-line to find out more? How many books and articles will you read and talk about this week?

Get motivated radicals are highly motivated!

Data, Data, Data: Fatwas, Laws, Events and Incidents, Networks and Reflection

Fatwas
What do you know about the politics and intent, the process of drafting and legislating fatwas and their consequent effect? What do you know about the mapping and analysis of the consequences of each Indonesian fatwa since 2005?

What are you reading?

This?

This?

How About This?

Fundamentals are Important: Read Primary Sources So Lets Go Back to Geertz Keeping in Mind the Intervening Criticisms

Geertzs Conclusions to The Religion of Java: Are They Not Surprisingly Relevant Today?

From Radicalism Towards Terrorism The Setara Report, 2012

Reading The Setara Report: From Radicalism to Terrorism

We Need Far More Radical Students You need to be students who read and write obsessively, research, debate and present with a sense of sacred struggle good students. Why not read academic books with at least some fraction of the commitment you give to reading and memorizing and debating the Koran? Why not return to primary sources and debate them with a similar sense of passion and commitment? When you read the ever more nuanced, rich and diverse literature about the history and anthropology of Islam in Java, do not just accept as a given the criticisms of Geertzs work - go back and read Geertz. Get fundamental! Be radical (about reading) That is the biggest problem we have here on campus

My point:

Towards Conclusion: Irony What is the point of using this image in this context?

Can you tolerate - or embrace - this sense of difference? If you cannot - the bottom line is: You are a radical!

Umar Patek: Convicted Terrorist A Radical Radical A Great Student Motivated Diligent -Serious

So what about Rambat as Rubiah in Matah Ati - her practice, study and discipline - this larger history of Java?

Matah Ati: Cinta dan Perjuangan di Tanah Jawa Pada Abad 18, Buku Program, 2012

The Consequences of Religious Radicalism, Read Intolerance (No) Thank You