Minister Of Religion Will Limit Political Campaigns At Islamic Boarding Schools

Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (ANTARA/HO-Kemenag)

JAKARTA - Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas will issue rules that limit electoral political campaigns in religious education environments, such as Islamic boarding schools, madrasas, and universities.

"We will not give rules that free people from being able to carry out electoral political campaigns," said Minister of Religion Yaqut, quoted by ANTARA, Friday, October 6.

Yaqut's statement responded to the granting of some of the applications for the 2017 Law Number 7 concerning General Elections by the Constitutional Court.

The Amar Decision Number 65/PUU-XXI/2023 which was set on August 15, 2023, includes allowing campaign activities in educational institutions with certain restrictions.

Minister of Religion Yaqut said the Ministry of Religion would regulate which regulations were allowed and which should not be carried out. Conceptually allowing political education campaigns.

Political education, he said, is very important for students and students to get to know more closely about the democratic process in Indonesia.

"If the goal is to carry out political education, to open the santri horizon or anyone in the Ministry of Religion to be better at politics, we will welcome it," said Minister of Religion Yaqut.

"Well, that's what will be in educational institutions, yes, which are electoral in nature, we will limit," he added.

Previously, the Ministry of Religion had also issued a Circular (SE) of the Minister of Religion regarding Guidelines for Religious Lectures, one of which contained that lecture material should not be politically charged practically.

Circular Letter (SE) of the Minister of Religion Number SE. 09 of 2023 concerning Guidelines for Religious Lectures was signed by Yaqut Cholil Qoumas on September 27, 2023.

This Circular letter takes a foothold in the principle of religious harmony, which is an important foundation of national harmony.

The guidelines have two main goals. First, provide clear guidance for religious preachers in giving religious lectures. Second, providing guidance for administrators and managers of houses of worship in facilitating the implementation of religious lectures.