Ministry of Religion: Standardization boarding school in a bid to prevent Terrorism

By: Ajeng Mufadillah)*

Director General of Islamic Education Ministry of Religious Affairs Amin Kamaruddin said the program launched by the government related to the standardization of schools instead of de-radicalization. Kamarudin said that instead of de-radicalization but rather on mainstream moderate Islam. According to him, if it is referred to as de-radicalization can lead to an understanding boarding a hotbed of radical or extreme group called terrorists.

By calling mainstream moderate Islam means schools are directed to mainstream Islam of peace, mediation / moderate and “rahmatan lilalamin”.

Pesantren, he said, was not a radical, and this is evidenced non-formal religious educational institutions are not growing radicalism even since prakemerdekaan Indonesia. Pesantren has continued to grow since the first without raising the issue of radicalism is precisely to promote love of country.

Nevertheless, Kamaruddin not deny there is a potential radicalism may grow among schools when penetrated by unscrupulous wing hard. Therefore, he continued, the government should be present in the boarding school with a variety of programs including one over standardization boarding. The program is expected to begin in 2017.

He said the government should not be absent at the boarding school. Reflecting from other countries, religious educational institutions such as madrasas no government intervention. Kamaruddin pointed out the government of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan did not intervene in religious educational institutions. Impact, radicalism is growing in a number of the religious educational institutions.

Pesantren, a strategic partner of the government and is an important element in education and society in Indonesia. Then the position should continue to be considered the government through a number of policy programs.

Kamaruddin also said that boarding schools are important for the government entities and the nation. Pesantren gave his contribution to the independence of Indonesia and fill development.

Hopefully the Government in the program is expected to begin in 2017 may be present in the boarding school with a variety of programs including one over standardization boarding. Boarding School was supposed to get special attention because schools also have an influence in the development of Indonesia, and prevent the spread of terrorism.

)* The author is CIDISS contributor