"That person from the Palace means me? No, of course. No, no, no," Jokowi stated after reviewing Palmerah Market in Jakarta on Monday.
The head of state delivered the statement in response to the press' question regarding rumors that Chief of Presidential Staff Moeldoko is protecting Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding School despite the educational institution being affiliated with Indonesia Islamic State (NII) and spreading heretic teachings that deviate from Islam.
He appealed to people to await the government's measures regarding the situation.
"Be patient with that. I have given the directive to both Mr Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs and Mr Religious Affairs Minister to dig deeper (into the case). Once the result is out, I will explain," Jokowi noted.
Head of Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding School Panji Gumilang is said to promote heresy, as according to him, men and women can pray (salah) in the same row and that free sex is allowed and can be redeemed by paying a sum of money.
Moreover, Gumilang said he would build a Christian boarding school. In one of his speeches, he also admitted to being a communist.
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) had investigated the education institution since 2002 and had come across several controversial findings in the teachings, affiliations, and concepts that they upheld.
The MUI found indications of heresy pertaining to the concept of zakat and qurban that the boarding school applies -- as shown in a magazine published by Al Zaytun -- in addition to having found oddities in the leadership of Gumilang and some managements, with relation to the 9th commandment of NII.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mahfud MD outlined three measures that will be taken to address the polemic surrounding Al Zaytun.
The first step is to task the police force with handling allegations of criminal activities in the institution, he noted.
The second measure is to impose an administrative sanction on the boarding school that owns educational institutions up until the tertiary level, Mahfud remarked.
The third step entails maintaining peace and order during the entire proceedings on the Al Zaytun issue by having the ministry coordinate with West Java Province, he concluded.
Related news: Panji Gumilang again fails to meet police summons
Related news: Minister: Al Zaytun not linked to NII
Translator: Desca Lidya Natalia, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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