Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin emphasized that Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) are the nation's assets, as they are the only places that can produce ulema, or Muslim scholars, who can guide the people."Islamic boarding schools are the nation's assets," VP Amin remarked at the opening of the Islamic Boarding School Roadshow at Pesantren An-Nawawi Tanara, Banten, on Saturday.
min said that pesantrens can produce scholars, who can guide people on all earthly matters in life.
"We must not lose scholars by continuing to produce them through Islamic boarding schools," he affirmed.
He said one of the functions of pesantren is to prepare people, who have an understanding of religion. Currently, the vice president said, several people speak of religious issues but do not necessarily understand them.
min stressed that if no scholar were to be left in the world, then the people would elect incompetent leaders that can misguide and mislead them.
Source: Antara News Agency