Roy's Bilingual Prayer

Students of an Islamic boarding school in East Java are performing prayers in the Indonesian language. The Ulema Council has issued a fatwa prohibiting the practice.

May 10, 2005

A tattoo of a horse is clearly visible on his left arm. By wearing a t-shirt, vest, and jeans, he intentionally maintains an appearance which is unusual for a caretaker of a religious boarding school. Still, he is the caretaker of a spiritual retreat in Lawang, Malang, East Java, called the Pondok I'tikaf Jamaah Ngaji Lelaku. The school's name is impressive, and his title superb: Kiai Haji Mochammad Yusman Roy. The students usually call him Ki

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