DPR: Ministry of Religious Affairs Must Not Issue Permits for Pesantren Without Knowing the Supervision Details

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Cucun Ahmad Syamsurijal has called on the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) to tighten the granting of permits and supervision of pesantren. This statement was made by Cucun in response to a case of sexual violence that occurred at one pesantren in Pati, Central Java. “The Ministry of Religious Affairs must not issue permits for pondok pesantren without knowing what the supervision is like,” said Cucun in Jakarta recently.

The existence of the Directorate General (Dirjen) of Pesantren, said Cucun, should enable Kemenag to have a more optimal supervision measurement tool so that it can prevent cases of sexual violence in pesantren from occurring. “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 urged law enforcement authorities not to hesitate in taking action against the perpetrators. According to him, the case in Pati has gone beyond the bounds of decency and harms the national dignity of pesantren.

“I ask the authorities to enforce the law as severely as possible on the perpetrators to create a deterrent effect. Communicate it openly to the public because this has already damaged the image of pesantren. In fact, through Law Number 18 of 2019 on Pesantren, we have fought for this institution to receive recognition and appropriate equality,” he said.

Furthermore, Cucun proposed that girls’ pesantren must have female mentors or supervisors to ensure the safety and comfort of female students. Then, he 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 the slightest action that harms human dignity,” said Nasaruddin Umar.

The Minister of Religious Affairs stressed that educational institutions must be safe and dignified spaces for all learners. Religious educational institutions must be the safest place for children to learn and must serve as an ideal example for society.