Despite The Santri Died By Dianiaya, MUI Imbau Ortu Don't Be Fearful Of Registering Children To Islamic Boarding Schools

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) for Da'wah and Ukhuwah, KH Cholil Nafis appealed to parents not to be afraid to put children into Islamic boarding schools.

A student named Albar Mahdi, from Palembang, South Sumatra, died allegedly because he was abused by a senior at the Modern Gontor 1 Islamic Boarding School, East Java, some time ago.

Polres Ponorogo, Jawa Timur, berhasil menangkap dua pelaku pembuluh santri tersebut. Meski telah diamankan di Mapolres Ponorogo, kedua santri senior dari luar Pulau Jawa itu saat ini masih berstatus terduga alias saksi.

"Of course we are concerned about what happened in Gontor and maybe in several other pesantren," Kiai Cholil said as quoted from the official MUI website, Thursday, September 8.

Kiai Cholil said the incident was outside the will of humans and control of pesantren. Kiai Cholil also asked every Islamic boarding school to increase supervision and control of each student.

"Maybe out of thousands even if there are millions of Gontors, this is probably an unwanted event," he continued.

Kiai Cholil emphasized to parents not to be afraid to put children into Islamic boarding schools.

The caretaker of the Cendekia Amanah Islamic Boarding School assessed that the majority of students in Gontor could still be controlled and it was proven that the results were from Gontor alumni who could color the world.

"Not only coloring Indonesia. Officials, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, ministers and several sectors of many alumni of Gontor," he said.

Kiai Cholil said that even if something unwanted happens in a boarding school, it is very unlikely that it is beyond the limits of human protection.

"Please ladies and gentlemen, to include (children) in Islamic boarding schools, believe me, Islamic boarding schools hold the mandate," he said.