Obscene Religious Teacher: Muara Damages An-Nahla Islamic Boarding School Image In Aceh In 2018

An-Nahla Islamic Boarding School in Lhokseumawe, Aceh. (Special)

JAKARTA - The image of pesantren as a forum for learning Islamic knowledge is often haunted by the issue of sexual abuse. In Aceh, for example. Serambi Makkah residents were shocked by the act of obscenity against 15 male students by two religious teachers at the An-Nahla Islamic Boarding School, Lhokseumawe.

The perpetrator is Ali Imran who serves as one of the leaders of An-Nahla. Another one is Miyardi who serves as a Koran teacher. The act of obscenity further worsens the image of pesantren throughout the country. Like a slander because of a speck of nila, broken milk sebelanga.

Islamic boarding schools have been the main teachings of the Indonesian people in deepening Islamic knowledge. In fact, the presence of Islamic boarding schools was able to compete with European schools in the Dutch colonial era. This condition is increasingly running because Islamic boarding schools are the basis for the movement to maintain Indonesia's independence.

The extension of pesantren actually began to fade in the New Order era (Orba). Islamic boarding schools are considered too irrational if they don't want to be said to be withdrawn. The state doesn't really care about the fate of pesantren.

All the people began to look at private and public schools for their children's education, rather than pesantren. The narrative actually strengthens the pesantren. They continue to perpetuate all efforts to exist. The enthusiasts are still there.

Existing Islamic boarding schools began to match themselves with the tastes of the times. Take, for example, the application of English is one of the everyday languages in Islamic boarding schools, in addition to Arabic. The narrative is considered a pesantren teaching to be open with progress.

New problems also arise. The actions of a handful of pesantren caregivers (religious teachers) are often the culprits of the image of the pesantren being badly tarnished. Instead of teaching good things, a handful of religious teachers actually smoothed their lust to perpetuate sexual abuse against their students.

The treatment was perpetuated by religious teachers Ali Imran and Miyardi - at the An-Nahla Islamic Boarding School, Lhokseumawe, Aceh from 2018. Both have the status of religious teachers who molested up to 15 male students.

The obscene treatment was only discovered when one of the victims ventured to report it to the police on July 8, 2019. The local police immediately accessed the report. The perpetrator was immediately detained the day after.

Both were charged with Article 50 of Aceh Qanun Number 6 of 2014 concerning Jinayat Law in conjunction with Article 65 paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code. In accordance with Aceh, then Indonesia went into an uproar. Both were found guilty in court. Ali was sentenced to 190 months in prison. Miyardi was sentenced to 160 months.

"It is proven guilty and sentenced the defendant Ali Imran to 190 (15 years more) months in prison and Miyardi to 160 months in prison (13 years more)," said Chief Judge Azmir, while reading the verdict, accompanied by member judges Ahmad Luthfi, and Kamaruddin Abdullah at PN Lhokseumawe, as quoted on the Kumparan page, January 30, 2020.

Like nila setit, broken milk sebelanga. That's an expression that can describe the case of sexual abuse at the An-Nahla Islamic Boarding School. The depraved behavior of religious teachers makes all Islamic boarding schools in the archipelago suffer the consequences.

The case of sexual abuse resulted in the parents of students being wary. The parents thought twice about entrusting their children to the Islamic boarding school. The narrative of pesantren as the appointment of Islam, which was directed by lil alamin, was tarnished.

All of this was proven directly when the case of obscenity in An-Nahla surfaced. Islamic boarding schools that incidentally became a place to study more than 250 students in Lhokseumawe began to be quiet. Those who survived were no more than 150 students.

This condition is because parents start to attract their children from the same school. Even though the management reshuffle has been perpetuated. Pesantren also tried to ask the public not to judge anymore by labeling it badly.

Those who are the perpetrators have been dealt with and that does not mean that the whole pesantren was damaged. However, the injuries caused by a handful of religious teachers remain rooted and interfere with the existence of the development of the An-Nahla Islamic boarding school and other pesantren in the future.

"Now the learning process in the building is just starting to run. The remaining 150 students have stated that they want to complete their education in Islamic boarding schools," said the new leader of the An-Nahla Islamic Boarding School in Lhokseumawe, Tengku Sulaiman Lhok Weng, quoted on the Kompas website, June 24, 2019.