Indonesia targets niqab and 167 Islamic books to counter rising tide of extremism

One ministry has banned staff from wearing the full-face veil to work and the religious affairs ministry is replacing 167 Islamic texts deemed to contain extremist material

The government has launched a website to report radical content shared by civil servants, after a survey found them expressing a preference for an Islamic state

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Published: 12:30pm, 14 Nov 2019Updated: 2:11pm, 14 Nov 2019

An Indonesian ministry last week banned its staff from wearing the niqab, or full-face veil, while on duty, as the government grapples with a rising tide of extremism and intolerance in the country.

Tjahjo Kumolo, the Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform, told local media employees still had a choice to wear the garment when not working.

“In my opinion, when at work, it’s better not to wear niqab. Just wear it outside the office,” Tjahjo was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Globe. “If it is outside the office, wearing the niqab is each citizen’s fashion right,” the minister said, adding that all workers should wear their uniforms.

An Indonesian student reads the Koran in Medan, North Sumatra, in May 2017. File photo: EPA

Indonesia’s Religious Ministry was also considering adopting the same ban, while announcing plans to replace 167 Islamic textbooks deemed to contain extremist or intolerant material in schools by the end of the year.

“The intention is so that religious teachings can make students more tolerant and appreciate others who are different from them,” said Kamaruddin Amin, director general for Islamic Education at the Ministry of Religious Affairs.