Anti Islamophobia Education With a Social Contract Approach

Abstract

One of the current issues in Islamic education is Islamophobia. When examined
more deeply, this issue is closely related to social contract theory. Therefore, it is
interesting to study social contract theory alongside the issue of Islamophobia. This
research employs a qualitative method using a literature review approach for data
collection. The findings show that Islamophobia is an ideology or an intense fear
of Islam, its teachings, or its followers, caused by excessive negative prejudice that
leads to viewing Islam and anything associated with it as evil, dangerous,
extremist, and destructive. Islamophobia has negative impacts on both perpetrators
and victims. Muslims experience intimidation, religious discrimination,
defamation and hoaxes, as well as acts of terror. The emergence of Islamophobia
is triggered by terrorist acts carried out in the name of Islam, which then spread
through politics and mass media, creating a negative social contract effect that
frames Islam as evil, dangerous, and something to be avoided. This makes social
contract theory closely related to the issue of Islamophobia. Social contract theory
itself is a socio-political theory that views law or sovereignty as a product of
agreements among individuals to establish mutual consensus. Solutions that can
be implemented to reduce or address Islamophobia from the perspective of social
contract theory can be carried out both internally and externally. These include
revitalizing social media, international cooperation, halal lifestyle promotion,
conceptualizing jihad, strengthening da’wah, and revising policies and laws.