Student Persecution Incident In Gontor, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin Hopefully Not Accredited Islamic Boarding Schools

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin accompanied by South Sumatra Governor Herman Deru (right) and Bank Sumsel Babel President Director Achmad Syamsudin in Palembang/ANTARA

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin hopes that the alleged abuse of students at the Gontor Ponorogo Islamic Boarding School (Ponpes), East Java, will not vilify Islamic boarding schools as Islamic-based educational institutions. "This incident is expected not to discredit the pesantren. In the past, there was no (persecution)," said Ma’ruf Amin in Palembang, South Sumatra, between, Wednesday, September 7. Ma'ruf Amin said that Islamic boarding schools are actually educational institutions that educate students to become noble human beings by providing knowledge of Islam. However, recently there have been incidents that have made the government pay special attention to Islamic boarding schools. "Indeed, this is our concern why this happened. It should be built to respect each other, appreciate, and love," he added. The vice president invited the family to take legal steps if they wanted the incident to be legally processed. "I think, if the family wants to be processed, it will be processed immediately (report to the police)," he said. As reported, a student of the Gontor Islamic Boarding School from Palembang with the initials AM (17) died after undergoing persecution. On Tuesday, September 6, Ponpes Gontor acknowledged that there were allegations of mistreatment of students AM (17) by fellow students. "Based on the findings of the santri parenting team, it was found that there were allegations of abuse that caused the victim to die," said Ponpes spokesman Darussalam Gontor Noor Syahid, in Ponorogo, East Java. Noor Syahid said Ponpes Gontor had taken firm action against the alleged perpetrators, by issuing students involved in the persecution.