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We need to agree on the general picture, the first principle that applies is we must respect free decision by one’s beliefs, including the decision to wear a headscarf. The first principle giving a consequence; is the second principle that all forms of coercion including prohibitions against human rights must be opposed.

In any form of coercion let alone being carried out continuously, massively and structurally, we can categorize it having a political goals. A political goals built for a group’s interest having potential threat for other groups existence itself such that the government must take concerns seriously because it has endangered the integrity of the nation based on Pancasila ideology.

That activity of requiring girl students to wear headscarves in public schools is more like a maneuver played by a group affiliated with an Islamic party is crazy in religion. Regarding the obligation to wear jilbab in public school openly or using veiled way carried out, it is time for the government to take care seriously because what happening in field has violated the law.

If this country is based on the law, mostly the state schools from the playgroup to high schools that obliged female students to wear headscarves have against the law.

When a teacher only said to his students why you didn’t wear jilbab, was you a Muslim or not so that it had contained an element of pressure especially the teacher dares to say jilbab is must in this school, those who disagree please leaving school then it definitely become a legal case; that schools or teachers have betrayed their educational function. This activity has enriched unhealthy of the teacher’s superiority in the learning process. Because every pressure is an oppression, that is a threat for students who do not want to follow such as being ostracized, ridiculed, inhibited until they can not pass the class.

Obligates students to wear headscarves subtly to overtly over state facilities that is not ordered by the law is a “fraudulent practice“. How can teach student be honest by a cheated teacher? In general view, precisely counter-productive from the intention of religious manifestation of faith itself. How does public can interpret something comes from God if an ‘aggressor’ nature caught? Don’t make double phobia Islam upon uncured resistances. It will actually harm Islam as a whole in further. Moderate Islamic groups have voiced it also, so many educational activists have criticized that must give children a space to make decision in order they learn to be responsible.

I have long wanted to write about “the phenomenon of wearing jilbab” in public schools from a legal and public view. My writing coincides with a new school 2018 year which just a week took place throughout around Indonesia. The jilbab controversy still draws public attention and return was being debated on the virtual walls; this case is awaiting the act of government especially from the Minister of Education, Mr Muhadjir Effendy.

That school had understood very well that public schools belonged to the government, that Permendikbud No. 45 of 2014 had regulated uniforms at school. Why did the school dare to violate the law?; This activity can be attributed to the Tarbiyah Movement in 1980 where the headscarf became one of their struggles which eventually established PK; later on being Pekaes party. Also read: Jilbab & Pekaes.

Government is necessary to take stance towards obligation of jilbab in schools because:

I. Contradicts to Permendikbud No. 45 of 2014 Chapter I Article 1 paragraph 4 which written “uniforms of Muslim girls are uniforms worn by Muslim girls students because of their personal beliefs“.

My descriptions are:

1. Making jilbab as obligation (by soft and hard way) would make school using their authority to ‘press’ instead of to make student bright.
2. The “spiritual intelligence” of student should also be a concern of the school and the nation. To understand what is “the spiritual intelligence” by a question do our spirituality overcomes our ancient nature?
3. Human rights violation has occurred in school, the school has amputated the freedom of students to fulfill their personal beliefs, so that the school is no longer a place where ‘good choices’ can be chosen freely because of can not get the assistance of deepening process or processing faith otherwise getting coercion and pressure.

II. Contradicts to Permendikbud No. 45 of 2014, the Act on Chapter II Article 2 section (a) written “about uniform goals held for instilling and fostering a sense of nationalism, togetherness, and strengthening brotherhood then can foster a spirit of unity among students” and section (b ) “to increase the sense of equality

My descriptions are:

1. It is very clear and obvious that there has been massive compartmentalization. This raises the anxiety in shared life can’t be built healthy both in school and after school. This activity violates blatantly and does not fulfill the uniform objectives applied as Government expects.
2. It has tore togetherness and innocence of children, does not lead to equality then the potency of nationalism cannot grow because the process has been disabled.
3. The terminology and implications of “obligation” (soft until hard) have wild consequences of uncontrolled deeds in the name of authority. It would happen ‘improvisation of faith’ from those who feel get most sacred, most right and have authority by job in school or in education service. What students facing cannot be predicted. This has been resulting new borders which have led to restrictions on freedom and disrupt the pure teaching and learning process directly and indirectly. Already many cases happening such as arbitrarily schools forcing non-Muslim students to wear headscarves or go out from school, boys are forbidden girls when dining and rest time, Dhuha prayer must be carried out and there are still many rules from personal ‘improvisation of faith’ that must be accepted as a consequence of students get schooling in there.
4. Disobedient students will get many effects from being excluded by the teachers and friends, get unfair score, get trouble and blocked,and until not passing level. The victims also come from Muslims and non-Muslims students.

III. By looking at trends lately and it has endangered the integrity of the state, the government must restore the purpose of education in public schools in accordance with the mandate of the Constitution. Schools have been used as a place to sow disunity and becoming an enjoy field of dissemination of a group’s ideology.

My descriptions are:

1. The public schools must reflect state’s goals because this country was built by joint our efforts, taxes, hopes and tears. The goal of state is to carry out common life interest in which for all citizens without discriminating on religion, race and ethnic and skin color can freely express self including belief. By enforcing the obligated headscarf wearing has tarnished the common life plan that has been stipulated in the Brief of 1945 Constitution paragraph 4.
2. Seeing public schools from playgroup level that obligate wearing jilbab is very worrying, this activity is truly fatal because the essence of freedom has been uprooted all.
3. The public schools must be a place to sow diversity and strengthen archipelago nature for the sake of common life and not for political goals or religion.
4. This problem arises as occurred in public school! That’s it! Isn’t the government also allow the religious-based private schools establish and the numbers are very numerous. Why do those still imposing the will on public schools?

I often get an impression that aggressor nature in the religion highlighted by a group is more due to worrying on number of follower and suspicion, that’s not already irrelevant in the shared world! Also read: Digit Politic. Also, the problem of view that religion must involve in state politic; it is more a ‘power ambitions’ of someone or group than religion things.

Can we compare that something undergoes a deepening process will see what gotten is more noble in later than obtained superficially, under stressed conditions and forced taken will make it less value. So, because of political interests they sell religion very cheaply.

We are worried the spirit of aggressors in religion would be born pasca ‘indoctrination’, it would prejudice Islam itself. In the future, Indonesia would continue to be enlivened by the presence of compartmentalization in any field with religious labels. At that time the religion became more complex. After religion was stirred up in politics then shuffling in business, where the religion do you bring?

The essence of this paper is nothing else for the call of our Muslim friends who encouraging Islam is blessing religion; ‘Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin’ for all. So I hope this article will bring a movement for evaluation and self-introspection and getting the best solution for all. Also read: Islam In My Eyes.

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