The Representation of Religious Figures’ Responses to The Al Zaytun Controversy: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to reveal the representation of religious figures’ attitudes toward the Al Zaytun controversy as reported by Kompas.com. Unlike previous studies that focused on government officials’ responses, this research offers a new perspective by positioning religious figures as the main discourse actors. Using a critical qualitative descriptive approach, linguistic data were obtained from nine purposively selected news articles on Kompas.com. The analysis applied Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of critical discourse analysis (CDA). The findings show that Kompas.com portrays religious figures as proactive, firm, objective, and responsive toward the controversy, yet supportive of the institution’s continuation on humanitarian grounds. Through its discursive practices, the media constructs a narrative that Al Zaytun should not be disbanded, emphasizing moderate approaches and compromise solutions aligned with central government narratives. At the sociocultural level, coverage is shaped by tensions between the controversy and the majority’s religious practices, media economic interests, a tendency to follow government narratives, and religious leaders’ firm responses based on religious commitment and efforts to gain public sympathy. Theoretically, this study extends the application of Fairclough’s CDA in examining contemporary religious discourse in Indonesian media. Practically, it offers insights for media, scholars, and policymakers on how representations of religious figures influence public perception and social stability.