MUI Calls for Evaluation of Power Dynamics Between Teachers and Students in Educational Institutions

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has called on all religious educational institutions to evaluate the power relations between teachers and students to prevent their misuse in the name of obedience. “In the world of pesantren, the founder figure holds a very strong sociological power relation. That power should be used for guidance, not for oppression,” said Secretary of the MUI Advisory Board Zainut Tauhid Sa’adi in Jakarta on Tuesday. He made this statement in response to the case of sexual violence committed by a pesantren supervisor against its students. Zainut stated that MUI strongly condemns the alleged indecent acts and sexual violence carried out by the supervisor of Ponpes Ndolo Kusumo, initialled AS. Such actions are not merely criminal offences but a betrayal of the pesantren institution, which highly upholds its noble dignity. He explained that pesantren is a noble institution for tafaqquh fiddin (deepening religious knowledge) and forming noble morals. Therefore, any form of violation against the honour of santri within it is a great evil that cannot be tolerated. This step is a strong message that the state and ulama provide no room whatsoever for sexual predators to hide behind the cloak of Islamic educational institutions. “We also ask the government to ensure the continuation of education for the hundreds of other santri so that it remains guaranteed and free from stigma,” he said. MUI also calls on all parties to focus on trauma recovery for the victims. Society is prohibited from giving negative stigma to the victims. Instead, he gives the highest appreciation to the female santri and alumni who dared to speak out, as well as community members who proactively monitored this case. “Their courage is a real form of amar ma’ruf nahi munkar,” he said. “We highlight reports that this case was delayed since 2024. Justice delayed is injustice itself. Therefore, we ask the police to impose maximum punishment to provide a deterrent effect,” he added. Meanwhile, Deputy General Chairman of MUI Anwar Abbas encourages improvements in the supervision system within pesantren environments to prevent similar incidents from recurring. He proposes the creation of strict rules, particularly regarding interactions between male supervisors, teachers, or employees and female santri. “There must be firm rules that meetings between men and women without a chaperone are not allowed. This is important to prevent unwanted things,” he said. According to him, such preventive measures align with the principle of caution in religious teachings to avoid situations that could lead to moral violations.