Minister Of Religion Yaqut Ensured That His Party Would Explore The Potential For Systematic Bullying At The Gontor Islamic Boarding School

Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (8/9/2022).(ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Officials from the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) are investigating the potential for systematic bullying at the Darussalam Gontor Islamic Boarding School, Ponorogo, East Java. Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said his party had also deployed officers from the Ministry of Religion to investigate the possibility of bullying in various branches of the Gontor Islamic Boarding School. "We will see what the Ministry of Religion apparatus in the field is like at the Gontor Islamic Boarding School. Of course, not only in Gontor one, but also in various branches. This is to see if this is systematic or personal," said Yaqut at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Antara, Thursday, September 7. According to him, the perpetrators of bullying at the Modern Darussalam Islamic Boarding School, Gontor Ponorogo, which caused one of the students to die, must be subject to sanctions for violating legal norms in educational institutions. In addition, the educational institution will also be subject to sanctions if it is proven that bullying is carried out systematically. "If it is systematic, intentional so that children can be treated freely like that, of course we will give sanctions, wherever it is educational institutions while under the Ministry of Religion," he said. Previously, Tuesday (6/9), the Darussalam Islamic Boarding School, Gontor Ponorogo, admitted that the alleged abuse of Albar students Mahdi/AM (17) by fellow students resulted in the death of the teenager from Palembang. "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 Ustadz Noor Syahid in Ponorogo, East Java, Tuesday. Based on the news circulating, AM died after being abused by senior students. So far, the Gontor Islamic Boarding School has taken firm action against the alleged perpetrators, by issuing students involved in the persecution.