Islamic graduates can join ABRI

PURBA BARU, North Sumatra (JP): Graduates from Islamic senior high schools can enroll in the Indonesian Armed Forces after passing entrance tests, Commander of the Armed Forces (ABRI) Gen. Feisal Tanjung has said.

"However, graduates from Pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) must undergo a series of examinations which include health and physical condition and general knowledge," Feisal said at the celebration of the 82nd anniversary of Musthafawiyah Islamic Boarding School in Kotanopan, about 450 kilometers southeast of Medan, the capital city of North Sumatra.

He, nevertheless, ruled out the possibility of female officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Police wearing headscarves on duty. Feisal said "each unit of the ABRI already has its own uniform."

"Off-duty female officers are free to wear the headscarf," the commander was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.(imn)