Sexual Harassment Case in Pesantren: Religious Affairs Minister: No Tolerance!

Religious Affairs Minister Prof KH Nasaruddin Umar has reiterated his stance that there is no tolerance for acts of violence and harassment, whether physical, verbal, or sexual. This was stated by the Minister following the proliferation of hoaxes related to sexual violence cases, which have been turned into disinformation content on social media and deliberately framed to attack him. “My stance on sexual violence is clear and firm. There is no tolerance for sexual violence. I have never tolerated in the slightest any actions that harm human dignity,” he said in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday (6/5/2026). “Not only as Minister of Religious Affairs, but as a human being, I declare that everything contrary to morality must be our common enemy,” he added. Nasaruddin emphasised that educational institutions must be safe and dignified spaces for all students. “Religious educational institutions must be the safest place for our children to learn, serving as an ideal example for society,” he said. Nasaruddin also explained that the Ministry of Religious Affairs has strengthened regulations and mentoring mechanisms in religious educational units, which will oversee activities in pesantren and prevent any deviations. “This will be our concern, especially issues related to pesantren. We have established a pesantren mentoring unit, where pesantren leaders collaborate to monitor and prevent any deviations in pesantren,” the Minister clarified. He also called on the public to be more discerning in filtering information, particularly hoaxes that could divide society. “Let us break the chain of hoaxes by sifting before sharing. Being smart on social media is our way of maintaining peace for one another,” Nasaruddin said.