West Java Governor Make Sure Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding Schools Are Not Disbanded

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil/ANTARA HO West Java Regional Government

West Java (Jabar) Governor M Ridwan Kamil confirmed that Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding School (Ponpes) in Indramayu Regency would not be dissolved after the determination of Panji Gumilang to become a suspect.

"So (Al Zaytun Islamic Board) will not be disbanded because there are 5,000 students who are studying, and they are the children of the nation who have the right to receive educational access services," said Ridwan Kamil after the Coordination Coordination Meeting at the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs office, Jakarta, reported by ANTARA, Thursday, August 3.

Governor Ridwan Kamil said Al Zaytun would not be dissolved, but this pesantren would be fostered because it involved more than 5,000 students who were studying

However, the Ministry of Religion will change the Al Zaytun curriculum which has been taught to students.

Ridwan Kamil said that apart from the curriculum, teachers will also be fostered and accompanied by the Ministry of Religion so that the material taught in the future does not deviate from the faith of religion, Pancasila, and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

"Later, the curriculum and teachers will be accompanied and fostered by the Indonesian Ministry of Religion to ensure that the curriculum, mindset, all must be Pancasila, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, which is the obligation of all of us," he said.

The government also ensures that it will not take over the management of the Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding School. Islamic boarding schools will continue to stand but with new management.

"The students are not taken over, but will be fostered. The physical building is still there, the students are still learning, but with new curriculum, new or old teachers, but they have been fostered and the main tasks are at the Indonesian Ministry of Religion," he said.

The main task of the West Java Provincial Government is to maintain conduciveness and provide the latest information to the public regarding the development of the Al Zaytun polemic.

"My job is to ensure West Java's conduciveness and report to the public that it is better, calmer, and we will solve this protracted problem now," he said.

He hopes that the completion of the Al Zaytun polemic in accordance with the expectations of the community, namely taking firm action against the perpetrators of blasphemy, but still paying attention to the future of his students.

"In general, in accordance with the expectations of the community that there is firm action and has been shown by the ongoing legal process," he said.

Currently, the head of the Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding School, Panji Gumilang, has been named a suspect by the police for the blasphemy case.

He ensured that the legal process against the suspect would continue by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police and did not cover up the possibility of another criminal article being found.

"The legal process continues after being determined with one or two articles related to blasphemy. It is also possible that other criminal articles will be found which will be followed up by the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Police. We'll just have to wait and see how the process is carried out by the investigators," he said.