This study is a qualitative research aimed to see the response of "pesantren" teachers in North Sumatra, Indonesia toward Islamist ideology. Specifically, this study attempted to find out the perception of "pesantren" teachers toward the ideas of Islamic country, Jihad, non-Muslim leaders and women as leaders. The teachers interviewed are those who teach Qur'an, "Hadith," and "Fiqh" classes. The data were analyzed by using the data analysis model proposed by Miles and Huberman. The results indicate that the majority of "pesantren" teachers consider that the establishment of an Islamic country and the implementation of Islamic law are important, but they oppose women and non-Muslims as leaders of Muslim communities or a country. According to Bassam Tibi's theory of Islamism, the response of these "pesantren" teachers can be categorized as moderate Islamism, not radical because they support the establishment of Islamic state and Islamic law, yet object to violence to achieve the goals.