Ministry of Religious Affairs Permanently Closes Tahfidzul Qur'an Ndolo Kusumo Pesantren in Pati

The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) has officially revoked the licence of Tahfidzul Qur’an Ndolo Kusumo pesantren in Pati following the sexual assault case against its founder, Kiai Ashari (51). The Head of the Pati Kemenag Office, Ahmad Syaiku, stated that on 4 May, his team conducted on-site factual verification and evaluated the pesantren’s compliance. The results led to a recommendation for licence revocation. “And alhamdulillah, on 5 May, last Tuesday, the licence for the TQ pesantren has been declared revoked,” Ahmad said during a press conference on Thursday (7/5). “The revocation letter is dated 5 May 2026, meaning the TQ pesantren is no longer permitted to operate; its closure is permanent. This serves as a lesson for other pesantrens moving forward,” he added. Nevertheless, Ahmad assured that the continuity of education for the students at the pesantren would be guaranteed. He noted that the pesantren has at least 252 students, comprising those from Raudhatul Athfal (RA), Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) equivalent to primary school, junior high, and Madrasah Aliyah (MA). Ahmad mentioned that on 2 and 3 May, all students were returned to their parents, and learning is being conducted online. “And insyaallah, next Tuesday, we will conduct assessments for all 252 students to determine placements in other pesantrens or madrasahs,” he said. Previously, Kiai Ashari, the founder of the pesantren in Pati, faced legal consequences after being named a suspect in the alleged rape of dozens of female students. Ashari was arrested by a joint team from Pati Police Resort, Central Java Regional Police, and the National Police’s Mobile Brigade Headquarters at the Grand Mosque of Purwantoro, Wonogiri, Central Java, on Thursday morning. From the investigation, it was revealed that Ashari assaulted the victim 10 times. The acts occurred from February 2020 to January 2024. “The perpetrator committed these acts against the victim 10 times at different locations by inviting the victim under the pretext of requesting a massage to enter the victim’s room,” stated Pati Police Resort Chief, Commissioner Jaka Wahyudi. In this case, Ashari is charged with multiple articles, namely Article 76E in conjunction with Article 83 of Law No. 17 of 2016 on Child Protection, with a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. Additionally, Article 6 letter c in conjunction with Article 15 paragraph 1 letter e of Law No. 12 of 2022 on Sexual Violence Crimes, with a maximum penalty of 12 years’ imprisonment. Furthermore, Article 418 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Criminal Code on intercourse with a child, carrying a maximum of 12 years’ imprisonment.