Ministry of Religious Affairs Proposes Anti-Violence Task Force for Islamic Boarding Schools to Create Safe Spaces for Students
Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) has initiated the formation of an anti-violence task force (satgas) within Islamic boarding schools (pesantren). This move aims to create safe spaces for students through an independent and sustainable protection system.
Vice Minister of Religious Affairs Romo Muhammad Syafi’i shared this idea during a Coordination Meeting on the Task Force for Preventing Sexual Harassment in Pesantren in Jakarta (18/6/2026). Besides the task force, the ministry encourages the drafting of legal instruments based on classical Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) as a foundation for preventing and handling violence. This response comes after a surge in reports via the pesantren hotline (telepontren): in the first half of 2026, there were five cases of bullying, three of physical violence, and 14 of sexual violence.
"Although this data shows a big challenge, the spike in reports is also proof that victims now dare to speak out. Our job is to make sure the state is present to provide protection without compromising the independence and unique character of pesantren," said the Vice Minister. The task force will have an independent position with a confidential reporting channel that is responsive, secure, and child-friendly.
The ministry will also tighten the selection process for pesantren registration permits, strengthen cross-sector cooperation, and initiate educational forums on kyai-student power relations based on fiqh. Safe-space indicators will be included in periodic evaluations. "The old narrative that pesantren cover up perpetrators must be replaced with a new spirit: pesantren at the forefront of rooting out bad actors and maintaining a safe educational environment," the Vice Minister stressed.
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