Deputy Speaker of DPR Urges Ministry of Religious Affairs to Tighten Licensing and Supervision of Pesantren

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal has urged the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) to tighten the granting of permits and supervision of pesantren, in response to a case of sexual violence that occurred at one pesantren in Pati, Central Java.

“Do not let the Ministry of Religious Affairs issue permits but not know what the supervision is like,” said Cucun, quoted in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The existence of the Directorate General of Pesantren, said Cucun, should enable Kemenag to have a more optimal monitoring tool so that it can prevent cases of sexual violence in pesantren.

“This is the time for the government to act quickly so that people do not arbitrarily establish pesantren without strong supervision,” he said.

Cucun also called on law enforcement officials not to hesitate in taking action against the perpetrators. According to him, the case in Pati has gone beyond the bounds of decency and damages the national dignity of pesantren.

Furthermore, Cucun proposed that girls’ pesantren be required to have female mentors or supervisors to ensure the safety and comfort of female students.

He then encouraged the government to immediately realise the formation of the Anti-Violence Task Force in the pesantren environment that has been proposed previously.

Previously, Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar emphasised that the Ministry of Religious Affairs will not tolerate any form of violent and sexual harassment actions, whether physical, verbal, or sexual.

“There is no tolerance for sexual violence actions. I have never tolerated even a little action that harms human dignity,” said Nasaruddin Umar.