Dinamika Politik Praktis dalam Sikap dan Peran Pelajar Islam Indonesia (PII) Sumatera Utara

Abstract

This study explores the dynamics of practical politics among Islamic mass organizations in North Sumatra and examines how Pelajar Islam Indonesia (PII) responds to the increasing political engagement of major Islamic organizations. The study addresses the question of how PII positions itself amid the tension between pragmatic political practices and the normative mission of Islamic student movements. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation within the organizational environment of PII in North Sumatra. The data were analyzed inductively to capture the meanings and social interpretations articulated by organizational actors. The findings demonstrate that PII consistently adopts an institutional stance of political neutrality by rejecting direct involvement in practical politics and prioritizing its educational mission, cadre development, and moral formation. This stance reflects an effort to safeguard Islamic values, student activism, and Indonesian nationalism from partisan political interests. The study argues that PII’s neutrality represents a form of moral-political engagement rather than political apathy, positioning the organization as a critical ethical buffer that reinforces the independence and integrity of Islamic student movements within a pragmatically driven political landscape.