The West Java provincial government has been accused of religious bias after issuing a scholarship program for students at Bandung’s Universitas Padjajaran (UNPAD) that contains a requirement for candidates to memorize parts of the Islamic holy book of Quran.
Registration for the scholarship began on September 27, as announced in a circular in the university. The scholarship, which will be given to 56 students, partially covers the students’ tuitions according to their levels of study.
There are four requirements for students to be eligible for the scholarship. The first one is that the student must own a West Java KTP ID card and family card as the program is exclusive for West Javanese students. The second requirement is that the student must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 for undergrads or 3.25 for grad students, while the fourth requirement is the student must have a statement of medical well being from a hospital or clinic.
But it’s the third requirement that’s causing a lot of controversy. It states that students who excel in various extracurricular activities (and with certificates to prove it) may be given priority for the scholarship. The activities mentioned include sports, scientific studies, arts and culture, as well as the ability to memorize and recite 5 juz (sections comprising of 20 pages each) of the Quran.
Many were outraged and perceived this particular requirement as showing religious bias, especially since the scholarship was being given by the provincial government using taxpayers’ money.
The West Java provincial government answered the critics in an attempt to cool down the controversy, saying that this Quran requirement has been present since 2011.
“Every year it’s 5 juz, never added or reduced. It’s what the leader (West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan) requested,” said Hendra Sudrajat, an official at the West Java Middle to Higher Education Board, as quoted by Detik on Tuesday.
Hendra clarified that Quran memorization is only an optional requirement, meaning that candidates who excel at other aforementioned extracurricular activities should stand the same chance of receiving the scholarship.
Despite being an optional requirement, it is hard not to see the scholarship rules as still being discriminatory towards candidates who are not Muslims. All else being equal, Muslim students would still have the extra edge over non-Muslims because they have an additional means of meeting the requirements.
Speaking to BBC Indonesia, higher education expert Asep Salahudin is among those who criticized the program, saying its exclusivity to Muslims is discriminatory.
“Especially since the West Java provincial government is not an Islamic government, they don’t use Islamic laws. It would be different if the scholarship giver is the Saudi Arabian government, for example,” he said.
Asep Hilman, head of Bandung’s Education Board, justified the inclusion of the Quran memorization requirement by telling BBC Indonesia, “the majority of the West Java population is Muslim.”
Nevertheless, Asep said the board has taken the criticisms to heart and that they would revise the requirements next year to also give priority to students of other faith who can also show aptitude in studies of their respective religions.
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