Indonesian VP Urges Islamic Boarding School Students to Help in Economic Development

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf Amin called on all santri (Islamic boarding school students) in the country to take part in developing the economy of the people.

As the world’s most populous Muslim country, Ma’ruf said Indonesia has more than 18.5 million santri.

“This is a very large number [of santri] and it has a potential that needs to be developed for the benefit of the people in the economic sector,” Ma’ruf said during a virtual 2020 International Seminar on Millennial Santri in conjunction with the National Santri Day on Thursday, October 22.

Ma'ruf said that this potential was in line with his hopes that the Islamic boarding schools should not only become centers for producing Muslim clerics but also as centers for economic empowerment. 

Also read: Indonesian VP Maruf Amin Wants Ulamas to Help Combat Covid-19

He lauded several community programs initiated through the collaboration of the Islamic boarding schools, such as providing convenient stores in time of calamity and developing cooperatives for the santri, and the development of a business incubation center for the Islamic boarding school students and a mobile apps service.

“More collaborations must be done between the Islamic boarding school students and industry players to bring prosperity to the people,” he said.

He added that the government has committed to funding 209,449 Islamic boarding schools and institutions by allocating 2.6 trillion rupiahs ($1.7 billion).

This assistance is to support online learning, operational costs, and health care programs for Covid-19 prevention and control in Islamic boarding schools, among others. The funding is provided for the Islamic boarding schools in all 34 provinces in the country from 2020 to 2024, he added.

Also read: IMF: Indonesia Economy to Contract 1.5 Percent Next Year due to Covid-19

He also stressed the importance of producing good quality students who will continue the work of the clerics from the previous generations.

“The Islamic boarding schools are the training ground for the students to understand the religion as many senior Muslim clerics have passed away,” said the vice president, who is also a former chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council.

He told the participants to make the Islamic boarding schools the center of the preaching of Islam that is relevant to the times by using digital technology. By doing so, he said, their instruction will have a farther reach from anywhere at any time.

(Writer: Deti Mega Purnamasari | Editor : Krisiandi)

Sources: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/10/22/15292721/wapres-harap-pesantren-berperan-kembangkan-ekonomi-umat.

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/10/22/14135381/wapres-pesantren-harus-tetap-berfungsi-siapkan-orang-paham-agama.