Special committee needed to monitor extremism in pondok schools

ALOR STAR: A special committee to monitor and tackle the spread of "jihad" or extremism propagating militancy among students in madrasah and "pondok" schools should be formed by the state government in efforts to check the spread of extremism.
The secretary of the Kedah "Majlis Ummah Ahli Sunnah" (MUAS) Muhamad Fazilul Helmi Raidzan said members of the committee must be emplaced at all district religious departments to facilitate monitoring and acceptance of any report.
"There must be a special committee on the matter, can detect and take immediate action if there were reports of teachers teaching anything that was not within the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah," he said in a special interview with Bernama today.
Muhamad Fazilul, who is also the chairman of the Kedah association of the Pelajar Pondok Tauhid, said the pondok and madsarah institutions should not be tainted by teaching ideologies that deviated from the true teachings of Islam, thus the selection of suitable teaching staff must be given emphasis.
He also suggested that the teaching staff at pondok schools did not include political elements in their lessons as they could lead to problems.
He added that there was no necessity for Malaysians to be involved in the militancy struggles, on the contrary, jihad in terms of the mind and economy was important besides suggesting that the Muslims unite in upholding the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah teachings. – Bernama