LEBARAN SPECIAL REPORT
May 4, 2022
Seven Progressive Pesantren
As with previous years, we published a special edition to celebrate the Lebaran holidays. This year, stories from Islamic boarding schools or pesantrens that progressively emphasize the importance of conserving environment, teaching about gender equality and protection against sexual violence. Rather than just discussing concepts, they put them into practice in daily life.
This theme is important at a time of climate crisis and with cases of sexual violence emerging from behind the walls of pesantrens recently. At the beginning of April, for example, the Bandung High Court passed a death sentence against Herry Wirawan, the owner of a boarding school who had sexually abused dozens of students. And we are faced with a world that is becoming increasingly warmer as a result of environmental damage.
Four of these seven pesantrens have a long history of dealing with victims of sexual violence. The Al-Ihya Ulumaddin Pesantren for Girls in Cilacap, Central Java, for example, has for decades taken in and provided counseling to victims of sexual violence. We even met with a victim who told us about the role of the school administrators in her recovery.
Then there is the Nurulhuda Pesantren in Cianjur, West Java that has advocated in a number of cases of sexual violence against its students. The school leadership did not cover up the incidents, which are often seen as shameful. They involved other institutions, while defending the victims when they faced the perpetrators.
The other three pesantrens fight for the planet. One of them, the Annuqayah Islamic Boarding School in Guluk-Guluk, Sumenep, East Java, was a pioneering green pesantren at a time when few people in Indonesia knew about the climate crisis. When the government was still nowhere near replacing dirty energy with renewable sources, they were already using clean energy. This pesantren also strongly opposed phosphate mining, which damages the environment.
These seven schools show that pesantrens are no longer simply exclusive religious education schools. They are not confined behind walls, but act for humankind and nature. The climate crisis that is a problem for this planet will become a concern for everybody if they use religious institutes to campaign for it. The pesantrens have a significant role to play.
Enjoy the magazine. Happy Idul Fitri.
Stefanus Pramono
Executive editor
Making Pesantren An Oasis
We report on seven pesantrens that set great examples in the two important themes today: climate crisis and sexual violence.
Nyai Gender’s Safehouse
Kempek Pesantren provides a safe house for survivors of sexual violence.
A Child of Adam from Cilacap
The management of Al Ihya Ulumaddin Pesantren initiated a safe house for survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
A Girl’s School for Survivors
Al Hidayat Pesantren in Magelang has experiences dealing with survivors of sexual violence.
Terror Calls from A Child Predator
The Nurulhuda Pesantren in Garut accompanies students who are survivors of sexual violence.
Exploring Islam through Nature
Ath Thaariq Pesantren combines Islamic teachings and ecological principles.
Worship Needs Water
The Annuqayah Pesantren in Guluk-Guluk, Sumenep, is consistently environmentally literate.
Ecological Outreach in the Madani Valley
The management and students of the Nurul Haramain Pesantren in Lombok have been preserving the environment for years.
