Should these Schools close in Indonesia?

Religious affairs office tells schools to close for refusing to provide Islamic teaching to their Muslim children

Blitar, NU Online:

The Religious Affairs Ministry’s office in Blitar, East Java, has finally recommended the closure of six Catholic schools for refusing to provide Islamic teaching for their Muslim students.

Office head, Imam Mukhlis, said his office had recommended Blitar Mayor Samanhudi Anwar take legal action based on existing regulations against the schools……………..

The decree, according to the ministry’s local office, was based on Government Regulation No. 55/2007 on religious teachings, which is in turn based on Law No. 20/2003 on the National Education System.

Imam contends that the schools have also violated Religious Affairs Ministerial Decree No. 16/2010 on Religious Management at Schools.

“Article 4 (3) of the religious affairs ministerial decree stipulates that any school is required to provide a religious subject if there is a minimum of 15 students of the same faith,” he said.

“In fact, 70 percent of some 3,000 students at the six schools are Muslims.”

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