Vice President Inaugurates One Islamic Boarding School One Product South Kalimantan Expo 2022

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin inaugurated One Islamic Boarding School One Product (OPOP) Kalimantan Expo 2022, at dr. Murjani, South Kalimantan.

In his speech, the Vice President said that pesantren should not only be a center for education and da'wah that produces kiai and ulama. But it is also a center of economic empowerment.

"The two functions of pesantren are to produce kiai, as well as centers for community economic empowerment. Since the past, pesantren have had two functions, namely providing religious scholars and preparing fighters for the homeland," said the vice president, Thursday, August 11.

He said that since the beginning, Islamic boarding schools gave birth to scholars and at the same time produced fighters for the homeland in the context of defending the country.

If in the colonial era, fighters from pesantren fought for independence against the invaders, now pesantren must produce fighters in a different context, which is tasked with building prosperity, eliminating poverty and inequality, especially in the lower classes.

"Therefore, the spirit of struggle as a fighter for the homeland must be revived through efforts to empower pesantren and through OPOP," he said.

He said that currently there are Islamic boarding schools that are able to become direct buyers (offtakers) of commodities such as agricultural and plantation products from the community, then form partnerships to expand the marketing of their superior products or services, and there are those whose products are able to penetrate the export market.

He hopes that the existing successes can be transmitted to pesantren in other areas.

Ma'ruf hopes that the one-product Islamic boarding school program or popularly called the OPOP program, can be a movement that provides impetus for the MSME sector in Indonesia, to be more advanced, productive, and competitive.

Ma'ruf appreciated the South Kalimantan OPOP program as a pilot with Islamic boarding schools and the local government, as well as cooperating with the active involvement of various stakeholders, including partners.

"By saying Bismillahirahmanirrahim, I officially declare that the OPOP South Kalimantan Expo 2022 is open. May Allah SWT always give His 'inayah and bless all the efforts we make," said the Vice President in prayer.