Komnas HAM to Handle Case of School's 'Forceful' Use of Hijab Rule

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) plans to hold a meeting with the West Sumatera administration following another case of coercive jilbab (a form of hijab) rules that had reportedly happened at the Padang SMKN 2 state vocational high school.

“There will be a meeting between the West Sumatera Komnas HAM representatives, Ombudsman, and the region’s education agency to resolve this case,” said the human rights watchdog commissioner, Beka Ulung Hapsara, on Monday, January 25. 

Komnas HAM has been involved in helping solve this case after receiving a report from the student’s parents, which, according to them, was due to an old regulation set in place by former Padang mayor Fauzi Bahar. 

“Fauzi Bahar once instructed female Muslim students to wear hijab and suggested students from different religions to either wear hijabs too or other means of head scarfs,” said Hapsara. 

Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim has already condemned the local rule and warned that there will be consequences for those involved in issuing the rule if proven guilty.

Nadiem cited Law No.45/2014 on school uniforms and maintained that such intolerant rule did not go with Indonesia’s Pancasila (five state ideologies) and the essence of plurality.

“Schools must not create a rule or issue a call for students to use uniforms conforming to a certain religion as a mandatory school uniform. Especially if it does not coincide with the students’ religion or faith,” he said.

Read: Sinta Nuriyah: Muslim Women Not Obliged to Wear 'Jilbab'

EGI ADYATAMA | ANDITA RAHMA