"As the regulator, the Religious Affairs Ministry has the administrative power to restrict activities of an institution suspected of committing major law violations," the ministry's director of Islamic schools and pesantren, Waryono, said here on Thursday.
The decision to revoke the pesantren’s license was made since the school’s leader, identified by his initials as MSAT, is wanted by the police for sexually violating and bullying students, he said.
The pesantren is also accused of harboring MSAT and obstructing the investigation despite his wanted status.
The ministry director warned that sexual violence is not only a violation of the national law but is also considered a grave sin in the religion.
"The Religious Affairs Ministry fully supports any measures that the police will take to investigate and handle the case," Waryono informed.
He affirmed that the ministry will coordinate with the ministry office in the province and Jombang district, as well as other stakeholders, to ensure that the pesantren’s pupils can continue their education even after their school is no longer operational.
"Do not fret, the ministry will synergize with other pesantrens and madrasahs (Islamic schools) under the ministry’s jurisdiction to ensure pupils continue their education," he added.
Meanwhile, East Java Police officers have continued sweeping the Majma'al Bahrain Shiddiqiyah Pesantren complex, where MSAT, who is also the son of the pesantren's leader, a known Muslim cleric, is suspected to be harbored.
MSAT was implicated in a case of sexual violence against five pesantren students in 2017 in the school compound in Plandaan Sub-district, Jombang.
Though the police named him a suspect in 2020, MSAT continued to ignore police summons.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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