Pati Islamic Boarding School Abuse Case: Cak Imin Urges Protection of Pesantren Reputation

The Chairman of the PKB party, Muhaimin Iskandar, expressed his hope that the recent incident at the Ndholo Kusumo Islamic Boarding School does not damage the overall reputation of pesantren. “Of course, these incidents must not ruin the good name of pesantren, which are far more numerous than the existing cases,” Muhaimin stated during the opening of the National Meeting of Islamic Boarding Schools at the Grand Mercure Hotel Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Monday (18/5/2026).

Known affectionately as Cak Imin, he noted that movements are emerging on social media that generalise pesantren as educational institutions through negative stigmatisation. He asserted that PKB stands firmly with pesantren to uphold high-quality education. Consequently, recent cases of sexual violence within pesantren have become a primary focus for the party.

“PKB is at the forefront of monitoring and protecting pesantren from systematic attempts at destruction. Pesantren have proven themselves to be educators, preparers, and a fortress of values,” he added. He assessed that the violence occurring in boarding schools is a result of deeply entrenched power relation cultures. According to him, the exploitation of violence across all sectors must be overhauled by changing perspectives, approaches, and mindsets. “We will demonstrate which pesantren are legitimate and which are fraudulent ones that damage the reputation of our nation’s pesantren,” he concluded.

As background, the founder and leader of the Ndholo Kusumo Islamic Boarding School, Kiai Ashari (51), has been named a suspect after being apprehended by a joint team from the Pati City Police and the Central Java Regional Police in Wonogiri on Thursday (5/7/2026) following his escape. Educational activities for the students continue through a prepared learning scheme, despite the school’s operational permit having been revoked since 5 May 2026.