Gus Dur was able to build the birth of an understanding of Islam that is moderate, tolerant, and upholds human valuesJakarta (ANTARA) - The Religious Affairs Minister will launch a series of activities to commemorate the 2022 Santri (students of Islamic boarding schools) Day at State Islamic University (UIN) KH Abdurrahman Wahid, Pekalongan, Central Java, on Tuesday.
"God willing, the launch will be opened by Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, on Tuesday night, September 27, 2022," director general of Islamic education at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Muhammad Ali Ramdhani, informed in Jakarta on Monday.
UIN Pekalongan has been selected as the venue for the launch of the 2022 Santri Day commemoration because it regards Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) as a model representing ‘cosmopolitan students,’ namely students from Islamic boarding schools with a global perspective, he added.
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"Gus Dur was able to build the birth of an understanding of Islam that is moderate, tolerant, and upholds human values," Ramdhani said.
Several activities will be held at this year's commemoration, which will not only be open to the pesantren community but also all elements of society.
Ramdhani invited people from all levels of society to attend the launch of the Santri Day commemoration at UIN Pekalongan or watch the live broadcast on the social media channel of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
"It should be noted that Santri Day does not only belong to Islamic boarding schools, but also to the entire Indonesian nation. So, anyone can celebrate Santri Day," he said.
The Santri Day launch will also feature musical and shalawat (praising the prophet) performances by singers such as Zulfikar Basyaiban, Veve Zulfikar, Woro Widowati, and the Qasidah Qasima Group.
The Religious Affairs Ministry earlier urged Islamic boarding schools (pesantrens) to be more open and transparent in responding to criminal investigations to maintain public trust in the institutions.
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"We are an open society, and despite how many efforts are taken to cover up a case, it will be revealed eventually,” director of the ministry's Religious Education and Pesantren Department, Waryono Abdul Ghofur, said in a ministry podcast, which was followed from here on Monday.
He made the remarks in response to allegations of cover-ups perpetrated by certain pesantrens in violence cases.
He said that pesantrens that do not commit to nationalism and protecting the people and environment will experience a decline in public trust and institutional performance.
"If there is school violence, then there is something wrong (with the institution), yet there are a lot of factors (which can cause such incidents)," Ghofur noted.
Residents need pesantrens, he said, adding that the institutions have made a big contribution to the national education sector by expanding access to education for residents.
“Since, in the past, even before our independence, pesantrens have expanded opportunities for the people to access education," the ministry official said.
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Translator: Asep F, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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