This article refutes the perception that Islamic education in Indonesia is one of the factors leading to radicalization and recruitment into violent extremism, and instead argues that Islamic education tends to be a protective factor against radicalization. The article has three aims: 1) to clarify the history and current status of Islamic education (pesantren) in Indonesia, 2) to separate the religious teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahab from violent extremism in the context of Indonesia, and 3) to described how the re-Islamization of secularized elements of Indonesia society are at greatest risk of radicalization rather than Islamic culture per say. The authors describe the multi-faceted elements of the pesantren curricula, including both Islamic subjects as well as secular subjects such as math and science. The authors also describe the history of Wahhabism in Indonesia as well as the protective factors associated with the influence of the Muhammadiyah (largest Muslim modernist organization) and traditional Indonesian customs. Finally, the authors argue that in the Indonesian context it is actually the lack of knowledge about Islam, rather than Islamic education, that puts communities most at risk for radicalization based on religious proofs or arguments.