Jakarta – Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren, should be at the forefront of guarding the state ideology Pancasila and the principle of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) amid the growing radicalism that threatens the country's unity, a minister has said.
Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa, who is also head of Muslimat NU, the women's wing of the largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, said clerics and teachers at boarding schools had a key role in building children's character, especially through instilling a sense of religious pluralism.
"Islamic boarding schools play a significant role in shaping the moral values of the future generation, particularly by teaching Islam as rahmatan lil' alamin [blessing for the world and all within], namely that Islam promotes peace and tolerance," Khofifah said in a statement.
In front of hundreds of Muslimat NU members and teachers of Pondok Pesantren Minhajut Thullab gathered in South Konawe, South Sulawesi, on Monday, Khofifah asserted that Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution were the final consensus of Indonesia's founding fathers.
The founding fathers agreed to establish a country and a government that would accommodate the diverse religious and ethnic groups in Indonesia, she stressed.
"I have always said that we should position ourselves as Indonesians who are Muslim, not as Muslims who live in Indonesia, so we have a sense of responsibility [to act] when the nation is under threat," said Khofifah. (afr/ary)