INCLUSIVE DA’WAH IN A PLURAL SOCIETY: NEGOTIATING RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY, TOLERANCE, AND DIGITAL POLARIZATION IN INDONESIA

Syahriadi Syahriadi; Mahmuddin Mahmuddin; Firdaus Muhammad

doi:10.61397/tla.v4i1.481

Authors

Syahriadi Syahriadi Universitas Islam Negeri Alauddin Makassar
Mahmuddin Mahmuddin UIN Alauddin Makassar
Firdaus Muhammad UIN Alauddin Makassar

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61397/tla.v4i1.481

Keywords:

inclusive da’wah, religious moderation, religious tolerance, pluralism, digital da’wah, Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia’s religious and cultural diversity creates both opportunities for social cooperation and challenges for religious communication. This article examines inclusive da’wah as a communication framework for responding to religious intolerance, exclusivism, and polarization in a plural society. The study uses a qualitative interpretive literature-review design, drawing on scholarship concerning Islamic communication, religious moderation, pluralism, interfaith engagement, digital religion, and Indonesian religious life. The analysis identifies four interrelated dimensions of inclusive da’wah: dialogical communication, contextual religious education, socially responsible digital engagement, and community empowerment. The literature indicates that inclusive da’wah is most effective when it does not reduce tolerance to passive acceptance of difference, but connects religious commitment with respect for equal civic dignity, constructive intergroup interaction, and non-coercive communication. Digital platforms create new opportunities for counter-narratives and wider participation, but they can also amplify divisive discourse; therefore, digital da’wah requires media literacy and ethical communication rather than assuming that technology is inherently inclusive. The article contributes a conceptual framework of dialogical-inclusive da’wah that integrates theological commitment, social pluralism, and digital communication. This framework positions da’wah not only as religious instruction but also as a form of social communication that can contribute to peaceful coexistence while maintaining the distinctiveness of Islamic belief.

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