Indonesian Ulema Council Urges Stricter Pesantren Licensing to Prevent Violence

The Indonesian Ulema Council (PBNU) has called on the Ministry of Religious Affairs to implement stricter licensing procedures for Islamic boarding schools, known as pesantren. This measure is intended to prevent the emergence of substandard institutions that could potentially foster violence against students.

Ulun Nuha, Secretary of the Rabithah Ma’ahid Islamiyah (RMI) PBNU, stated that this request was a primary recommendation from a meeting of pesantren caretakers. The meeting, part of the National Movement for a Safe Pesantren, took place in various regions across Indonesia.

"The caretakers' meeting asked the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the government to tighten pesantren permits, to truly select which pesantren are genuinely qualified to receive permits," Nuha said after accompanying PBNU Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf at an event in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan.

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The caretakers' meeting asked the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the government to tighten pesantren permits, to truly select which pesantren are genuinely qualified to receive permits.

Furthermore, the meeting urged the Ministry of Religious Affairs to conduct more intensive supervision of pesantren. This oversight should involve all stakeholders, including RMI PBNU and communication forums, to ensure that fraudulent pesantren do not cause various cases of violence. Nuha added that the caretakers agreed to ask the government to prohibit any unqualified parties or those without pesantren permits from operating educational institutions under the guise of pesantren, as this could damage the reputation of legitimate pesantren.

The council also encouraged all pesantren to self-reflect and undergo transformation to create a safe and comfortable educational environment for all members of the pesantren community.

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The caretakers agreed to ask the government to prohibit all parties who are not qualified and do not have pesantren permits to organize education in the name of pesantren because it has the potential to damage the good name of pesantren.