Central Java Provincial Government Urges Fatayat NU to Protect Pesantrens from Violence

Central Java Provincial Government calls on Fatayat Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) members to jointly safeguard educational institutions, including pesantrens, from acts of violence. ‘We must sharpen and nurture each other. Law enforcement alone is not enough. We must bring together all community leaders to raise awareness and prevent recurrence of violent incidents,’ said Central Java Governor Ahmad Luthfi in Semarang on Saturday. He made the remarks following the 76th anniversary celebration of Fatayat NU at the Gradhika Bhakti Praja Building in Semarang. According to him, preventing violence cases requires more than just law enforcement; a collective movement involving government, law enforcement agencies, religious leaders, community figures, and social organisations is necessary. Moreover, he disclosed discussions with Central Java NU Chairman KH Abdul Ghaffar Rozin on the matter. The government will also involve ministries, law enforcement, religious figures, and community leaders to strengthen measures against violence in pesantrens. He stressed that recent violence cases in several pesantrens must be jointly evaluated to prevent recurrence. He will continue encouraging the public to speak out when witnessing or experiencing violence, particularly sexual violence. ‘We are actively raising awareness for people to speak up when seeing or being victims of violence, especially sexual violence, as it is our shared responsibility,’ he said. He affirmed that Fatayat NU in Central Java is ready to oversee the provincial government’s programmes, particularly those related to women’s empowerment, women’s protection, and child protection.