Although Many Political Figures Visit Islamic Boarding Schools, Don't Be Used As Campaign Locations

JAKARTA - The DPR agrees with the Boarding School and Community Development Association (P3M) which rejects Islamic boarding schools as locations for political campaigns. Although the Constitutional Court (MK) allows educational facilities, including pesantren, to become a campaign location ahead of the 2024 General Election, educational institutions are said to be neutral from practical politics.

"Pesantren is an educational institution that should be able to maintain its neutrality in the 2024 General Election, both in the presidential and legislative elections," said Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII DPR RI, Tubagus Ace Hasan Syadzily, Wednesday, September 27.

Previously, the Islamic Boarding School and Community Development Association (P3M) decided to reject the pesantren environment as the location for a political campaign ahead of the 2024 general election or election. This demand is the result of a meeting at the National Halaqah Caretaker of Islamic Boarding Schools at the Al Muhajirin Islamic Boarding School, Purwakarta, West Java, 22-24 September 2023.

During the event, 1,000 boarding school caregivers (ponpes) rejected the election campaign within the pesantren even though the Constitutional Court decided that educational facilities could be used for campaigns, including Islamic boarding schools with permission from the person in charge (of pesantren).

Boarding school caregivers are of the view that political campaign activities in Islamic boarding schools will have a negative impact, especially for students and alumni. Ace also agreed with this.

"That the Pesantrean leadership has political rights, of course we can respect. But making Islamic boarding schools an educational institution that stands above all political interests of partisans must be maintained," said the politician who grew up in this pesantren environment.

According to Ace, political campaigns in educational facilities such as Islamic boarding schools must prioritize regulations that are oriented towards healthy political education and education. He also asked all parties to maintain the calm of students by not involving them in the politics of participants.

"The Islamic Boarding School has been an institution with a root in society while still broadcasting religious values that are rahmatan lil alamin. Islamic boarding schools must prioritize national politics, not support and be used as a campaign," said Ace.

The legislator from the West Java III electoral district is of the view that pesantren can indeed be a place to facilitate discussions on various political issues and voter choices. As long as, said Ace, it is carried out in an educational and objective way.

"Although we know that many political figures stay in touch with the Islamic Boarding School, of course it must be accepted with open arms. But the Pesantre institution itself still has to maintain its neutrality," he said.

Ace added that pesantren not only has a duty as a place to educate the nation's young generation, but must also carry out the mandate for community service.

"Pesantren is a place full of religious values and spirituality, so there must be firm boundaries. Islamic boarding schools must be directed as protectors of the people and community services, without discriminating where their political orientation will go," said Ace.

For this reason, strict regulations regarding political campaigns within Islamic boarding schools must be made. Ace assessed that strict regulations regarding political campaigns within education can prevent potential divisions as well as emphasize that pesantren remain a politically neutral place, where various political views are respected without discrimination.

"Strict regulations will help prevent pesantren from becoming a means for certain political groups that want to divide the unity of the people," said Ace.

The leadership of the Commission in the DPR RI in charge of religious affairs agrees that the educational environment also needs an understanding of the world of politics. However, Ace emphasized that education does not mean in the form of practical politics such as campaigns.

"Because apart from being able to affect the neutrality of the educational environment, political campaigns can disturb the calm of learning for students," he explained.

"So it is very important for us to jointly keep political campaigns in Islamic boarding schools from disturbing the peace of pesantren students and teaching and learning processes for them," concluded Ace.