Repository UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya

Prof, Thoha Hamim

MENIMBANG KEJUJURAN AKADEMIK \ud
KAUM ORIENTALIS DALAM KAJIAN KEISLAMAN\ud

Akh., Muzakki

Young Muslims in Televangelism
The Jakarta Post, Jumat, 03 Oktober 2008
Oleh Akh. Muzakki
The religious life of young people or teenagers has recently become the deep concern 
of many religious studies scholars. The publication of a book edited by James Heft 
entitled, Passing on the Faith: Transforming Traditions for the Next Generation of 
Jews, Christians, and Muslims (2006), justifies this increasingly deep concern.
The central argument of the book is about the necessity of transmitting religious 
teachings and identities from one generation to the next. The importance of this 
religious transmission is applied to all Abrahamic religions, from Judaism, 
Christianity to Islam. Religious scholars are now rethinking how to strengthen the 
role of religion to stimulate an energetic faith in the next generation.
Does the same issue take place in the context of Indonesian Islam? Yes, much has 
been undertaken by Muslims in Indonesia, as with other parts of the Muslim world, 
for Islam to be transmitted to the public. But less has been devoted to putting this 
Islamic transmission segmented and oriented toward young people and teenagers.
Let’s make a small comparison between the Islamic transmission within popular print 
publications and TV programs (or better known as “Islamic televangelism”). There 
was a boom in popular print publications devoted to transmitting Islamic teachings to 
the young and to teenagers. This kind of publication is popularly referred to as 
“Islamic teen literature [teenlit]”. 
From the perspective of ideas and materials, there are two broad categories of Islamic 
“teenlit”: General Islamic “teenlit” and pesantren-based Islamic “teenlit”. The general 
Islamic “teenlit” promotes wider issues, ideas, and materials of Islamic teachings 
applied to Muslims’ lives.
The pesantren-based Islamic “teenlit”, however, develops issues, ideas and materials 
taken from Islamic values specifically rooted in pesantren teaching and applied 
particularly to a pesantren-related life. It is thus more specific than general Islamic 
“teenlit” in terms of the sources of ideas and materials of publications.
This kind of Islamic “teenlit” can be exemplified by publications such as Gus Yahya 
Bukan Cinta Biasa (Gus Yahya, Not a Common Lover) by Fina Af’idatussofa (2006) 
and Bola-Bola Santri (Stories about Pesantren Students) by Shachree M. Daroini 
(2005).
The production of Islamic “teenlit” aims mainly to bring Islamic teachings down to 
teenagers, and to transmit them in accordance to the characters and the needs of 
teenagers. Perdana in his books Ngefriend sama Islam (Be friendly with Islam), for 
example, remarks that books of this kind aim “to seek to present the picture and 
character of Islam as a religion of friendship, peace and convenience for the young 
and the teenagers”.
Let’s compare the boom of Islamic “teenlit” with Islamic televangelism. What’s up 
with the presentation of Islamic teachings for the young and the teenagers through the 
TV channels? Almost no TV programs are specifically developed for and devoted to 
this population group, to the best of my knowledge.
This reality should be a concern for many people. Just compare it with other so-called 
Islamic TV miniseries (or sinetron religi). Even though the miniseries are a rising 
phenomenon and are on several TV channels, the materials, issues and segmentation 
are mainly for adults.
The recent miniseries of Munajat Cinta (The Prayer of Love) starring Baim Wong, 
Zaskia Adya Mecca and Rianti Cartwright, and broadcast prime time (8:00 pm) on 
RCTI is an example.
Exploiting the triangled love plots through the strongly-held presentation of 
polygamous family life between these characters, this Islamic TV miniseries does not 
appear specifically to be devoted for the consumption of the young and the teenagers.
During Ramadan of this year as well, a very limited number, if any, of Islamic TV 
miniseries and Islamic televangelism are segmented specifically to this age group. 
Look at the miniseries such as Aqso dan Madina (Aqsha and Medina) on RCTI 
starring Marshanda, Dude Herlino and Carissa Puteri. The plots, stories, and 
materials presented are more for adult consumption than for teenagers.
Certainly profit is a factor. The miniseries which exploit plots and stories about the 
drama of love as well as conflict and harmony in personal life has certainly allowed 
the TV stations that broadcast them to become the most preferable and favorable 
channel with a high rating.
The Islamic televangelism segmented for the young is a neglected subject as well. 
The popular Islamic televangelists such as Abdullah Gymnastiar (or more popularly 
addressed as Aa Gym), Yusuf Mansur and even Arifin Ilham seem to have neglected 
this subject and segment in their own televangelism activities. 
The writer is a lecturer at the State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Sunan Ampel 
Surabaya, and a PhD Candidate at the University of Queensland, Australia. He can be 
reached at: akh.muzakki@yahoo.com.



Young Muslims in Televangelism

Prof. Dr, Saidun Fiddaroini

MEMBANGUN KORIDOR PENGEMBANGAN\ud
PENDIDIKAN BAHASA ARAB \ud

Prof. Dr., Saiful Anam

PERANAN ADAT / `URF DALAM PENGEMBANGAN\ud
HUKUM ISLAM

Pidato Pengukuhan Guru Besar Dalam Bahasa/Sastra Arab\ud
UIN Sunan Ampel Surabay

PROF. DR., JUWAIRIYAH DAHLAN

PUISI AL-SYABI SEBAGAI RUH KEHIDUPAN\ud
(Tela’ah Analisis Puisi Dalam Psikologi Sosial)

Prof Dr, Nur Syam

Indonesia Di Tengah Problem Keterpurukan

Prof. Dr., Nur Syam

RADIKALISME DAN MASADEPAN HUBUNGAN AGAMA-AGAMA:\ud
Rekonstruksi Tafsir Sosial Agama

UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya

Not a member yet

MENIMBANG KEJUJURAN AKADEMIK \ud KAUM ORIENTALIS DALAM KAJIAN KEISLAMAN\ud

Young Muslims in Televangelism

MEMBANGUN KORIDOR PENGEMBANGAN\ud PENDIDIKAN BAHASA ARAB \ud

PERANAN ADAT / `URF DALAM PENGEMBANGAN\ud HUKUM ISLAM

PUISI AL-SYABI SEBAGAI RUH KEHIDUPAN\ud (Tela’ah Analisis Puisi Dalam Psikologi Sosial)

Indonesia Di Tengah Problem Keterpurukan

RADIKALISME DAN MASADEPAN HUBUNGAN AGAMA-AGAMA:\ud Rekonstruksi Tafsir Sosial Agama

DESAKRALISASI KITAB FIQIH\ud SEBAGAI UPAYA\ud REFORMASI PEMAHAMAN HUKUM ISLAM

PARADIGMA TASAWUF DAN MASA DEPAN ISLAM

NU dan Civil religion

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