Pesantren attracts Moslem women in 'jilbab'

By Tedy Novan

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Yogyakarta is not a santri or strict Moslem- town like Pekalongan in Central Java or Ponorogo in East Java but the city sees more and more Moslem women wearing jilbab (headwear) and cadar (veils).

Their appearance draws much attention. Some women wear black robes which cover the entire body and leave no part visible. Sometimes they also cover their faces with black transparent cloth. The practice -- common in Middle Eastern countries -- is still rare in Indonesia, with over 160 million moslems.

On her way to market, Ani, a local of Yogyakarta, leaves her house covered from head to feet in a black robes. She also wears a pair of gloves and socks.

At the market, Ani's presence soon drew the attention. Some pointed whilst whispering to their friends. Others shook their heads in amazement. But for the traders at the market veiled women like Ani are common. "That woman used to doing her shopping here," said a trader.

Ani paid and put the money in front of the trader, who did not seem offended.

Veiled women like Ani may be students. Some form groups pesantren (Islamic boarding schools). One such communities of veiled women is an education center, called Pondok Pesantren Tarbiyatun Nisaa (Islamic boarding school for female education), located in Degolan village, Sleman, north of Yogyakarta. Ani is one of the inhabitants of the pesantren.

At this pesantren, there are 32 students from Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Nusa Tenggara. The women, with an average age of 20 conduct a routine life at the pesantren in accordance with the strict schedule laid down by the masters. The day starts before the morning call for subuh prayer. After the subuh prayer a recitation of dzikir and reading of the Koran begins.

Formal education starts at 5:30 a.m. in a room measuring 5 m X 7 m. The pesantren has three permanent teachers and three outside teachers. Only two of them are men and the rest are women. The students are instructed in akidah (faith), religious law, explanation of passages in the Koran and hadits (the statements and deeds of Prophet Muhammad).

The morning session lasts for an hour, after which the students wash and bathe. Classes resume at 7:30 and go until noon. The students also study sewing, flower arrangement, cooking, handicraft making, planting and even journalism. In addition they learn to raise chickens and ducks, and cultivate chilies, sweet cassava and broccoli for their own consumption.

Together they produce a monthly magazine called Salafi, with a circulation of 11,500 copies distributed throughout Indonesia, Japan, Australia and a number of Arab countries.

Ummu Amir, the school manager, said that strict schedules and rules are enforced to ensure that the students only use their time for productive purposes.

"Spare time without activities will only lead to sin. At this pesantren, time is not wasted and it is solely for the observance of religious duties," said Ummu Amir, whose original name is Khodijah Hasan Baisa.

Very tight restrictions are placed on the interaction between men and women. Even the ustadz (teacher) Umar Ja'far Thalib, one of the male teachers, when teaching the female students, is separated by a black-cloth screen.

Before marriage, a man who is interested in wedding, may only listen to his prospective wife's voice from outside a joint prayer session of male and female members. A declaration that he likes her will be considered as a request for marriage. Not long afterwards the couple are married. "There is no courting session" said Ummu Amir.

The pesantren obtained its permit from the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Sept. 30, 1994. Ummu Amir, whose husband is Ustadz Umar Ja'far Thalib from Yaman, has often toured provinces in Indonesia. With the upsurge of interest in recitation sessions Ummu Amir has been encouraged to establish her own pesantren. The first session had only 15 participants and the second one 35. Each student pays Rp 60,000 per month. Education at the pesantren lasts two years.

The pesantren aims at educating women to manage a household. Women should live their lives at home in accordance with women's life at the time of the Rasulullah (Messenger of God) Muhammad. This is to avoid slander.

According to Prof. Syafii Maarif, secretary of the Muhammadiyah Moslem organization, a community like Pondok Pesantren Tarbiyatun Nisaa has a tendency to isolate itself from social life.

Islam does not recommend that its members shut themselves off. "God created men to communicate with each other, not to make a community that is separated from its environment," said Maarif, a history graduate from Chicago University in the United States.