PKB Legislator 'Ngamuk', Calls Trans7 Show About Islamic Boarding Schools Harassing Kiai

JAKARTA - Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, responded strongly to the Xpose program in Trans7 which was considered harassing and offensive to the dignity of the kiai. As a result of the broadcast, the PKB legislator went berserk and will discuss this issue internally to report it to the press council.

Deputy Chairman of Commission X of the DPR, Lalu Hadrian Irfani, emphasized that PKB will be at the forefront of defending the honor of Islamic boarding schools, kiai, and students who are an important part of the history and identity of the Indonesian nation.

Pesantren is a pillar of the nation's morals. Indonesia's history of independence cannot be separated from the roles of kiai and santri. Therefore, PKB strongly rejects all forms of media framing that insult the pesantren world," said the head of the education commission, Tuesday, October 14.

Meanwhile, Member of Commission I DPR Syamsu Rizal said the show had exceeded the ethical limit and violated the applicable broadcasting rules. He stated that Trans7's actions to broadcast content that seemed to demean the kiai were a form of editorial negligence as well as a violation of the Broadcasting Code of Conduct and Broadcast Program Standards (P3SPS).

Therefore, he urged the Ministry of Communication and Digital Indonesia (Komdigi) and the Press Council to immediately summon Trans7 management to be asked for an explanation and accountability.

Komdigi and the Press Council must be firm. Do not let violations like this be underestimated. This concerns the dignity of religious leaders and public trust in the media," said Syamsu Rizal in a different statement.

Syamsu Rizal also revealed that Commission I of the DPR RI, which is in charge of communication and informatics, media, and broadcasting affairs, will also summon the Komdigi and the Press Council to discuss this issue in depth.

Commission I will summon Komdigi and the Press Council in a working meeting to ask for clarification and steps to be taken. The Trans7 show clearly violates the rules, and we don't want the same thing to happen again," he said.

In another statement, a member of Commission VIII of the DPR, Maman Imanulhaq, said that the narrative presented in the broadcast was very inappropriate and misleading to the public. The show, according to him, describes the kiai as if they lived luxuriously, asked for money from the congregation or students, and made pesantren a place of exploitation.

Such narratives are clearly very detrimental and painful for kiai, santri, and the pesantren community. Kiai is a moral and spiritual figure who has contributed greatly to this nation. Condemning them is tantamount to harassing scientific and religious traditions that are the foundation of the Indonesian people," said Maman, Tuesday, October 14.

The legislator from the West Java IX electoral district also urged Trans7 to immediately apologize publicly, especially to the kiai and pesantren, and to account for their actions.

Trans7 must apologize publicly and conduct an internal evaluation of the creative team and the editors who produced the show. The media has a big responsibility to maintain ethics and sensitivity to religious values," Maman urged.

In fact, member of Commission XIII of the House of Representatives, Mafirion, assessed that the show not only injured religious values, but also violated human rights (HAM) as regulated in Law Number 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights.

According to Mafirion, Article 29 paragraph (1) of the Human Rights Law emphasizes that everyone has the right to personal protection, family, honor, dignity, and good name. Therefore, he assesses that broadcasts that demean or harass a kiai have violated the right to human dignity.

Kiai is not only an individual, but a spiritual figure who is respected and a role model in the pesantren community. Reaping a kiai means also degrading moral, religious, and community identity values of students," said Mafirion.

He added that harassment of symbols or religious leaders also contradicts the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (DUHAM), especially Article 1 and Article 5 which emphasizes that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and without insult or demeaning treatment.

"Harassment of religious figures can be categorized as a discriminatory act that tarnishes universal human values. This is not only a matter of ethics, but also a matter of human rights," he concluded.

As is known, through the Xpose program, Trans7 shows a video showing students and worshipers playing the sitting kiai. There is also a video of a kiai getting out of the car.

What is considered very inappropriate is the narration of the voice from the video which states that the students are willing to step in to threaten and give the envelope to the kiai. According to the bulwark, the rich kiai should be the one who gives the envelope to the students.

The footage of the show immediately received a strong reaction. Netizens also called for a boycott of Trans7.