Pesantren not shaping radicals

Sukabumi, NU Online
Coordinating minister for people's welfare Agung Laksono has refuted the allegation that Islamic Boarding Schools or Pondok Pesantren have helped shape radical groups, Antara news agency reported.<>

"Such bad image should be changed as it is not true that Pondok Pesantren (Ponpes) shape the radical groups," the minister confirmed when visiting two of the Islamic Boarding Schools here on over the weekend, adding the Ponpes on the contrary have improved the education.

Absolutely the Ponpes develop education in Indonesia because the pesantren do not only teach lesson materials relating to life on earth but the eschatology as well, so the Ponpes graduates have more advantages than the school graduates in general.

In addition, the Islamic Boarding School constitutes the oldest educational institution in Indonesia, so it is considered as the embryo of educational activities in the country, he asserted.

Therefore, any negative image addressed to the pesantren should be changed, because the Ponpes graduates can be superior, he said.

"Participation of the Ponpes can raise the educational quality in the country, so the recent negative image about the Islamic Boarding Schools to shape radical figures is totally wrong," the minister disclosed.

According to him, actually the Islamic Boarding Schools are playing a role to unite the people and showing an example in leading to the religious tolerance.

Apart from that, the Ponpes are also creating a program that teaches interfaith harmony among religious communities, Minister Laksono added.

Editor : Sudarto Murtaufiq