COUNTERING ULTRA-CONSERVATISM WITH ANIMATION MOVIES
The Responses of Netizens to the Movies of CISForm UIN Sunan Kalijaga
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30631/tjd.v24i2.5703Keywords:
Counter-Extremism; Digital Counter-Narratives; Youtube and Radicalization; Islamic Moderation; NetnographyAbstract
Despite the declining activism of several terrorist organizations in the last decade, extremist and ultra-conservative ideologies continue to proliferate through digital platforms, particularly social media. In Indonesia, YouTube has emerged as a crucial arena of ideological contestation where radical, conservative, and moderate Islamic narratives compete for public influence. This article examines the role of animated films produced by the Center for the Study of Islam and Social Transformation (CISForm), UIN Sunan Kalijaga, as a form of digital counter-narrative aimed at challenging ultra-conservative and extremist discourses. Focusing on forty animated short films released on YouTube between 2018 and 2025, which address themes of jihad, hijrah, tolerance, and Islam rahmah, this study employs a qualitative netnographic approach to analyze netizens’ responses and patterns of engagement. The findings reveal a complex spectrum of reactions, ranging from strong affirmation among moderate audiences to ideological resistance and contestation by conservative and extremist groups. While moderate viewers largely interpret the animations as effective, creative, and contextually relevant forms of contemporary da‘wah, conservative and extremist commentators frequently reject the narratives by invoking selective scriptural interpretations that legitimize exclusivism and, in some cases, violence. The study demonstrates that animated digital media function not only as instruments of counter-extremism but also as spaces that expose the persistence and adaptability of ultra-conservative narratives. This article contributes to the growing literature on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) by highlighting the strategic potential and limitations of animation-based counter-narratives within the broader dynamics of online ideological struggle.
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