A number of kiai (religious teachers) and youth of Nahdlatul Ulama in Cirebon denounced the brutality of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI)

Because they are set up by communities, pesantren are truly grass-roots religious establishments.

Chudhori emphasized that traditional arts should not be banned from Islamic boarding schools because of notions that it was “un-Islamic”.

“Because NU is considered a large and powerful organization, this can lure us into a trap of complacency. We forget about the need for introspection and end up walking on air.”

Religious life in Indonesia is going through a period of restless change, Wahid Institute director Yenny Wahid says.