The Minister Of Home Affairs Revokes Instructions Regarding The Use Of Hijab In Today's Memory, December 14, 2018

Tjahjo Kumolo, who served as Minister of Home Affairs from the 2014-2019 era. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA Memories of today, 23 years ago, December 14, 2018, the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Tjahjo Kumolo withdrew instructions regarding the rules for the use of hijab for women and beard tidiness for men. The revocation was carried out due to protests that emerged from the community.

Previously, the government often linked the matter of appearance of clothes used with the symbol of radical Islam. The Minister of Home Affairs even issued special instructions regarding hijabs, beards, and trousers.

Not a few people radically embrace Islam in Indonesia. They consider the religion they embrace to be the most correct. The rest is considered to have made a mistake in choosing beliefs.

This condition made them try to distinguish themselves from adherents of other religions. The government also believes that radicals often include religious symbols by dress. Hijab has its own style, maintains janggots, and cingkrang pants.

The problem is that the government never thinks that clothes don't always reflect whether they are radical or not. Sometimes they just carry out religious orders. It has nothing to do with Muslims left-left, or right.

Miraculously, the Minister of Home Affairs, Tjahjo Kumolo, issued instructions of the momentum of 025/10770/SJ in 2018. The instructions signed on December 4, 2024, were related to the rules for the use of headscarves, beards, and trousers.

Male ASNs are asked to wear trousers to their ankles. They were also asked to maintain the routine of mustaches, mines, and beards. Meanwhile, women's civil servants are asked to put their hijab into the collar of their clothes and according to the color of their official clothes.

Those who violate will be subject to sanctions by the government. They don't want their ASN to be uniform. Moreover, adopting clothes that they symbolize are leaning towards radical Islam.

"Improving guidance and supervision of the orderly use of official clothing and ASN tidiness within the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Border Agency," said the Minister of Home Affairs in an Instruction signed by Tjahjo Kumolo on December 4, 2024.

Instructions for the use of official clothing by the Minister of Home Affairs Tjahjo Kumolo were flooded with criticism. The government is considered like wanting to disturb religious norba. Fortunately, trousers must only be tolerated. However, beard and headscarf affairs cannot.

If you maintain a neat side, it is possible. However, asking for the hijab to be put into the collar of clothes clearly violates religious rules. All hold on that a woman must cover her chest with a hijab.

As a result, public pressure and criticism made the Minister of Home Affairs revoke the rules on December 14, 2018. ASN returned to normal. They can wear official clothing as usual.

"The Instruction of the Minister of Home Affairs that we mentioned today has been revoked and is no longer valid. The Minister also responded to positive input so that today the Minister of Home Affairs withdrew. It does not apply anymore," said Secretary General of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Hadi Prabowo, quoted by the CNN Indonesia website, December 14, 2018.