Ministry Of Religion: Islamic Boarding Schools Only To Learn Are Not Campaign Places

Special Staff to the Minister of Religion for Media and Public Communication Wibowo Prasetyo. (ANTARA/HO-Kemenag)

MAGELANG - Special Staff to the Minister of Religion for Media and Public Communication Wibowo Prasetyo said that Islamic boarding schools (ponpes) should only be used for places to study, not for practical political campaigns.

"I think it is very wise that the cottage is only used for places to study. There are other spaces that can be used for political activities," Wibowo said in Magelang, quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, October 10.

Wibowo's statement was in response to the plan to issue regulations that limit electoral political campaigns in religious education environments, such as Islamic boarding schools, madrasas, and universities by the Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.

Previously, the Constitutional Court granted part of the request for a judicial review of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections.

The Amar Decision Number 65/PUU-XXI/2023 which was set on August 15, 2023, includes allowing campaign activities in educational institutions with certain restrictions.

Wibowo said Islamic boarding schools are the same as places of worship, which can only be used for teaching and learning processes or religious rituals. Meanwhile, electoral political campaigns have nothing to do with religion.

"The place of worship, well, used for worship, the hut was also used as a place to gain knowledge and the students were not disturbed. I think the view on that matter is clear," he said.

He invited the public to present something cool in this political year, by placing something in its place.

"Let us in this political year can bring something cool. What places of worship should not be used as a political consolidation event," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas previously said the Ministry of Religion would regulate which regulations were allowed and which should not be carried out. Conceptually he allows campaigns that are political education.

Political education, he said, is very important for students and students to get to know more closely about the democratic process in Indonesia.

"If the goal is to carry out political education, to open the santri horizon or anyone in the Indonesian Ministry of Religion to be better at politics, we will welcome it," said Minister of Religion Yaqut.

"Well, that's what will be in educational institutions, yes, which are electoral in nature, we will limit," he said.