Purna Paskibraka Indonesia Rejects Allegations Of Hijab Prohibition In Paskibraka Putri 2024

President Jokowi took a photo with the 2024 Central Level Heritage Flag-raising Troops (Paskibraka) at the State Palace, IKN, East Kalimantan, Tuesday, August 13. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Purna Paskibraka Indonesia (PPI) rejected a policy that allegedly prohibited the use of the hijab for members of Paskibraka Putri at the inauguration ceremony in 2024.

PPI General Chairperson Gouta Feriza in Jakarta, Wednesday, said that the rejection of the alleged ban on wearing the hijab was carried out because it was against the values of Pancasila, especially the precepts of One Godhead.

His party assesses that Paskibraka is a symbol of Indonesian unity and diversity, so this policy actually injures the values of diversity that we have upheld.

He explained that the women's Paskibraka members came from various ethnicities, cultures, and religions. During the training process, they are allowed to wear the hijab according to their respective beliefs. However, at the time of inauguration they were forced to release the hijab.

"This is an inconsistency that cannot be justified. The question is why when training is allowed, but at the time of inauguration it is prohibited," he said, confiscated by Antara.

Therefore, he said, PPI urged the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP) as the organizer of the Paskibraka program to provide an official explanation regarding this policy. PPI also asked BPIP to re-evaluate the policy and respect the rights of each individual to religion.

"We are confident that President Joko Widodo and President-elect Prabowo Subianto will not agree to a discriminatory policy like this," added Feriza.

On the same occasion, the Deputy Secretary General of PPI, Irwan Indra, revealed that there were 18 members of the women's Paskibraka 2024 who were forced not to wear the hijab during the inauguration ceremony in the capital city of Nusantara, East Kalimantan, Tuesday (13/8).

In fact, he continued, the members were provincial envoys who from the start they had processed to become members of Paskibraka had already worn the hijab. Therefore, all parties in the regional level of PPI management to the central government expressed their protest stance.

"Until now, we have not been able to get information from BPIP, and they have not yet given a statement," he said.

PPI hopes that this case can be a valuable lesson for all parties so that in the future there will be no more allegations of violations of human rights and Pancasila values.