Deputy Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Syarief Hasan, assessed that Pesantren, or Islamic boarding schools, depicted Indonesia's diversity.
In addition to being a hub for religious knowledge, Islamic boarding schools are a melting pot for santri, or the Islamic school students, hailing from diverse ethnic backgrounds and social standing.
"This is something that is commonplace and normal for them. This is what I call a boarding school is a real portrayal of Indonesia's diversity. If you want to observe how the Indonesian people practice diversity, then look at the boarding school," Hasan noted in a statement, Wednesday.
This statement was made during a meeting of national figures at the Roudhotul Muta'allimin Islamic Boarding School, Sukanagalih, Cianjur District, West Java, on Tuesday (Oct 20).
Indonesia’s official national motto of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, or Unity in Diversity, referred to the variety in the country’s internal composition, but despite all, the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) has stood united.
On the occasion, Hasan called on the students to name sequentially the Four Pillars of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly, in response to which one of them, Siti Khodijah, answered correctly.
"The four pillars of MPR are the five principles (Pancasila), the 1945 Constitution (UUD 1945), the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), and Unity in Diversity (Bhinneka Tunggal Ika),” the student promptly remarked.
The MPR deputy chairman stated that Islamic school students constitute the smart young generation on account of their numerous achievements. To this end, he invited students to continue to put in all-out efforts in their studies.
"Bhinneka Tunggal Ika is part of the broad knowledge. Keep on learning, and do not ever give up if you fail or encounter obstacles. If it is consistently done, I am certain that the Islamic boarding school students of Roudhotul Muta'allimin will become the beacon of the Indonesian nation," he stated.
Pancasila, the five basic principles of the Republic of Indonesia, has become a guiding beacon to unify Indonesians amid a wealth of customs and cultures.
"As the country's foundation, Pancasila has guided the Indonesian people to unite in diversity," President Joko Widodo had earlier stated on his Twitter account.
Despite the nation encountering obstacles, the values of Pancasila are still able to knit together unity and integrity, the president tweeted.
"Various obstacles come to disrupt that unity, but all bound by our shared commitment to implement the values of Pancasila in social life," the head of state affirmed.
The president’s tweet carries a picture of several people of diverse backgrounds holding the pole bearing the state emblem of Indonesia, the Garuda Pancasila.
Another picture depicts a woman dressed in red, with her right hand pointed upwards, as though inviting viewers to look up while her left hand points to the Garuda Pancasila.
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Editor : Mahdani
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