Ustaz Fadlan's Message for Indonesian Islamic Students

ACTNews, JAKARTA – In many parts across Indonesia, the Islamic students, known as santris, live in poor condition. In many Islamic boarding schools in which the santris study, known as pesantrens, the facilities are also limited. Many of the santris also have to struggle with limited food availability.

This condition is seen in the Al-Istiqomah Islamic Boarding School, Walesi Village, Wamena, Jayawijaya Regency. The Islamic school only has limited facilities. Additionally, the students and teachers have only limited amount of food and basic supplies when the humanitarian conflict broke out in Wamena a few weeks ago.

Despite being trapped in the midst of conflict, having only limited facilities and food, the students did not relent. When Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT) team visited them on Friday (10/4), the students and their teachers remained enthusiastic about their teaching and learning activities.

A similar situation can also be seen in Darul Ulum Private Islamic High School in Sikakap, Mentawai, West Sumatra. The students are used to studying with limited facilities. They only have two classrooms that they have to use in turns. One building has been made into a boarding house for the students to stay.

A flag ceremony at MAS Darul Ulum Sikakap, Mentawai, in March 2019. MAS Darul Ulum is the only Islamic high school in the region. (ACTNews / Muhar Zulfikar)

Seeing the dire condition of many Indonesian santris and pesantrens, ustaz Fadlan Garamatan, a Muslim preacher, said that the santris need to continue pursuing religious education even with limited conditions and facilities in their pesantrens. "The santris are the inheritors of the prophets," he said, Tuesday (10/22) during the launching of ACT’s Beras Untuk Santri Indonesia program on the National Santri Day 2019.

Beras Untuk Santri Indonesia is a program that will provide rice for pesantrens in various parts of Indonesia. The pesantren led by ustaz Fadlan is one of the recipient of the rice distribution by ACT on Wednesday (10/23).

Fadlan, a Papuan-born preacher, said that modern-day santris must be able to continue to be part of the nation’s future generation. According to him, like their predecessors who fought and defended the Indonesian independence, santris of today must be the spearhead in advancing Indonesia. []