Islamic Boarding Schools not Teaching Radicalism: Minister

Bandar Lampung, Lampung (Antara) - The minister of religious affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said Islamic boarding schools, locally known as pesantren or pondok pesantren, do not teach radical ideologies such as that of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). "It is not possible for radicalism to be taught in pesantren. If any educational institution has been teaching radicalism in the name of pesantren, it is definitely not pesantren," the minister emphasized here on Saturday. According to one popular tradition, the pesantren education system had originated from Javanese tradition. He noted that the Islamic clerics and scholars, or locally known as kyai and ulama, who are the founders of Islamic boarding schools, have good manners, educated, and are pious. They are not likely to teach intolerant and violent radicalism. According to him, radicalism is not a characteristic of Islamic teachings. Therefore, it is impossible for Islamic boarding schools to teach violence. "Pesantren do not teach ideologies contrary to Islamic teachings," Lukman Hakim said, adding that people must understand this issue, so the positive image of the boarding schools is not shattered.(*)