In Response to Sexual Harassment at Islamic Boarding School, Majelis Masyayikh States It Lacks Authority to Oversee Pesantren

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — The Chairman of Majelis Masyayikh, KH Abdul Ghaffar Rozin, has emphasised that his organisation does not possess direct authority over the supervision of violence cases in pesantren. This statement was made in response to public scrutiny regarding the alleged sexual harassment case at Pondok Pesantren Tahfidzul Qur’an Ndolo Kusumo in Pati Regency, Central Java.

According to Gus Rozin, Majelis Masyayikh serves as a quality assurance body for pesantren, not a field-level supervisory institution for acts of violence. “Majelis Masyayikh is a quality assurance institution for pesantren. It does not have direct authority to supervise violence in pesantren,” said Gus Rozin when contacted by Republika on Tuesday (5/5/2026).

Nevertheless, he stressed that his organisation continues to contribute to prevention efforts through strengthening the education system in pesantren. One key measure is ensuring that every pesantren has a curriculum that prioritises anti-violence values and is child-friendly.

“What we do includes ensuring that pesantren have an anti-violence, anti-bullying curriculum and must be child-friendly,” said Gus Rozin.

Additionally, Majelis Masyayikh plays a role in ensuring that childcare functions in pesantren operate according to established standards. This is deemed essential for creating a safe and conducive educational environment for the students.

“We also ensure that the childcare function in pesantren runs according to standards,” he said.

Previously, the public was shocked by the alleged sexual violence case at Pondok Pesantren Tahfidzul Qur’an Ndolo Kusumo in Pati Regency, Central Java. The case has sparked widespread concern as well as calls from various parties to tighten supervision in pesantren environments.