Amrozi brings notoriety to Al-Islam school in Lamongan

Amrozi brings notoriety to Al-Islam school in Lamongan

Ainur R. Sophiaan, The Jakarta Post, Lamongan

The modest Al-Islam pesantren, an Islamic boarding school located
seven kilometers from Lamongan, East Java, has achieved instant
recognition. The humble school has been thrust into the public
eye through the arrest of Amrozi, the main suspect in the deadly
Bali bombing that claimed almost 200 lives and wounded more than
320 others on Oct 12, 2002.

The school is simple, if not poor. There is no fence to
separate it from the nearby kampung, (village) and no proper
external lighting. Several parts of the school compound are made
from plywood. There is no clear billboard announcing its
existence, only a plain board, 30 centimeters (cm) by 40 cm
affixed to the edge of one of the buildings.

Al-Islam is not the only boarding school in the area. There
are 20 others.

The suspect in the Bali blasts, Amrozi, lived near the school
and often spent time in the school compound praying. His
brothers, Ja'far Shadiq and Khozin, were some of the school's
founders.

Not only journalists have thronged the school to find out more
about Amrozi but also groups of police. Law enforcers searched
the school for incriminating evidence hidden in the compound.

Amrozi was just one aspect. Another was the fact that the
school was affiliated to Al Mukmin boarding school in Ngruki,
Surakarta, founded by Abu Bakar Ba'asyir. The senior cleric is
now in police detention for allegedly ordering a bombing spree in
2000 and being behind a plan to assassinate President Megawati
Soekarnoputri.

On Tuesday, for the second time, police raided the school to
look for Amrozi's brothers, Ali Imron and Gufron, who were
suspected of involvement in the bombing plan.

The instant notoriety and police raids indeed scared the
students. Only 20 female students remain. Some 130 other students
said they were stressed out and had decided to go home early for
the holidays.

"The santri (students) admit they're really stressed. They
never thought that their school would be visited by the police,
journalists and many others."

"I'm looking on the bright side. We've sent the children home
although the holidays are still weeks ahead. Hopefully after
Ramadhan they will return," said Zakaria, the principal of the
boarding school.

The school is located in a somewhat remote area. It is in
Tenggulun village, Solokuro district, Lamongan regency. The
easiest way to reach the school is via the north Java coast.

From the East Java capital, Surabaya, one could start from Jl.
Daendels and head for Paciran district, a journey of about 80
kilometers. From the district, there are many ojek (motorcycle
taxi) that can take you to the boarding school.

Three clerics, Ja'far Shadiq, Mushlih and Khozin, founded the
school in 1992 and started to enroll students in the following
year. The three clerics all graduated from Ba'asyir's school in
Central Java. This probably explains why Al Islam was linked to
the detained cleric.

Ba'asyir himself visited the school to preach twice but the
connection stopped there because structurally and professionally
there were never any links with Ba'asyir or his school, one of
the clerics said.

Most Al Islam students hail from outside Tenggulun. They come
from as far afield as East Java, West Java, Kalimantan, Aceh and
also East Nusa Tenggara, where principal Zakaria came from.

Only three of the students are locals.

The majority of Tenggulun residents are either Nahdlatul Ulama
(NU) or Muhammadiyah followers. Al Islam then developed the
salafiyah teaching method, which is not employed by either of
these organizations.

Discipline was strongly inculcated into the minds of the
students. Female students had to wear a cadar (veil).

Khozin said students of a Muslim boarding school were expected
to be a mu'alim (educator), with deep understanding of the
religion. During their six years of education, the Al Mukmin
students used English and Arabic as their daily languages.

At least 100 educators graduated from the school and now work
at several Muslim boarding schools.

Martial arts were introduced to the curriculum as part of the
education to strengthen students' spirituality. Such practice,
however, was common in other boarding schools.

In Al Islam the martial arts training, meant for self-defense,
often took place at night near the woods and cemeteries in the
vicinity of the school.

"This has usually been misunderstood by nearby residents. They
think it is armed, militaristic training," Khozin said, laughing.

Such suspicions were heard from locals. Even head of Tenggulun
village Maskun said there had been indications that the school
taught unusual and strange things.

"We have witnessed peculiar teachings, such as the way female
students wear Muslim attire," Maskun said. He admitted that he
did not really know the school teachers and principal and had
only once gone to the compound.

A local, Hamim, also shared his opinion and added the school
appeared to have isolated itself from local residents. Their
lives were exclusive and secluded, he said.

"Commonly a Muslim boarding school unites with nearby
residents. It looks as though Al Islam has put itself in a
different category; that's why they are avoiding us," he alleged.

Zakaria simply called on the public not to link his simple
school to the high-profile investigation into the Bali bombing,
Amrozi's activities and terrorism.

"We are not a terrorist institution, as has been alleged by
anti-Islam groups. Maybe those who accuse others of terrorism are
in fact the true terrorists. A pesantren is the shield of the
nation. Please look at history," he said.

Zakaria probably made this point because even Lamongan regent
Masfuk has made similar pleas to the public. He paid a visit to
the school when Zakaria was in Denpasar, Bali, for questioning in
relation to the bombing investigation.

Amid the disquiet that has blanketed Al-Islam's students,
teachers and their families over its alleged links with
terrorism, leaders were still encouraging and even pledging to
develop the school.

"Our pesantren is now famous worldwide. I believe people will
have a better idea later and think about us differently. We shall
continue to develop this school into a large and modern one,"
Khozin said.