Hangga Brata, Karanganyar, Central Java – The second of two Islamic schools mired in controversy for refusing to carry out mandatory flag-raising ceremonies that they deemed idolatrous finally complied on Monday.
Rina Iriani, the Karanganyar district head, said the students and teachers of the Al Irshad Junior High School carried out the ceremony on Monday morning, after holding a practice session on Saturday.
"The controversy is over. The students and teachers are now willing to hold the flag-raising ceremony on a regular basis," she said. "It took some time and a lot of discussions to get them to comply, but in the end it turned out well for all of us."
The school, along with the Al Albani Islamic primary school, came under widespread criticism last month for refusing to carry out the ceremony including the singing of the national anthem, which it said was tantamount to idol worship and hence against Islamic teachings.
However, the flag-raising ceremony and singing of the national anthem are mandatory for all schools nationwide, whether religious or secular. A 2008 decree from the National Education Ministry requires all schools to hold the ceremony on Mondays and national holidays.
Officials at the Al Albani school began complying with the requirement in the middle of last month, shortly after Rina threatened to shut down both schools.
School officials had previously justified their refusal to comply by referring to a leaflet issued by a top official of the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), which said saluting the flag was considered heretical.
Monday's flag-raising ceremony at Al Irshad proceeded under the watch of local police and military leaders, but was marred by attempts by members of the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) to interrupt the proceedings.
The FPI protested with loud chants and yells from outside the school compound before being silenced by a military commander.
Students said it was awkward having to carry out the ceremony for the the first time.
"It looked so funny when the ceremony leader gave out the command to form a line," said Sindu Prayogo Utomo, a student at the school. "I was trembling when we had to sing 'Indonesia Raya.' And at several points I forgot the lyrics to the anthem."