inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Vice Minister of Religious Affairs, Muhammad Syafi'i, urged Islamic boarding schools to play a strategic role in supporting national priority programs, particularly in the areas of food and energy security.

"Islamic boarding schools are not only centers of education and preaching, but can also become centers of food self-sufficiency. This certainly supports the food and energy self-sufficiency program, which is a priority for the President," said the Vice Minister of Religious Affairs on Monday (7/28/2025).

The Vice Minister of Religious Affairs stated that Islamic boarding schools have great potential not only to produce a spiritually and intellectually intelligent generation but also to become a driving force for community economic empowerment.

He cited the example of the management of 29 hectares of agricultural land by the eLKISI Islamic Boarding School in Mojokerto, whose yields are distributed to local residents. The contribution of Islamic boarding schools to the nation has a long history.

Muhammad Syafi’i further emphasized that Islamic boarding schools are the birthplace of the Indonesian nation, as many independence fighters came from the ranks of santri (Islamic boarding school students) and ulama (Islamic scholars).

"The movement against colonialism in many regions was driven by santris. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to call Islamic boarding schools as the birthplace of the Indonesian nation," noted Muhammad Syafi’i.

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