Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo denies claims of cover-up in brewing Islamic school blasphemy scandal

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has ordered an investigation into an Islamic school following a prayer arrangement scandal

The investigation comes after the school’s co-founder said the institution would emerge unscathed because of its ties with top-level government officials

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Blasphemy is a criminal offence in Indonesia with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:03pm, 27 Jun 2023

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has rejected claims that his close aides were trying to conceal the suspicious activities at a West Java Islamic boarding school accused of blasphemy as he ordered an investigation into the institution amid demands to shut it.

The Al-Zaytun school in Indramayu is mired in a sacrilege scandal after videos of male and female students offering Eid al-Fitr prayers together went viral on social media in April.

Congregational prayers in Islam generally take place with separate sections for men and women.

The incident also received backlash from conservative religious groups and gave fresh life to past allegations such as the school’s reported links to Islamic State of Indonesia (NII), a pro-Islamic State outfit.

The banned movement had conducted an armed campaign against the government in the 1950s and was rooted out following years of anti-insurgency operations.

As the outcry over the prayer arrangement grew, Al-Zaytun co-founder Imam Supriyanto said on a television talk show last week that because of the residential school’s ties with top-level government officials it would emerge unscathed from the religious saga in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.

“I know Moeldoko is the one who provided [founder Panji Gumilang] with access to the police so no charges can be made against the school,” Imam said, referring to Widodo’s chief of staff.