NABIL Haroen tiptoed into a student’s room. That night, this senior in Lirboyo, Kediri, was on a special mission to confiscate all of the “translated yellow books” at the boarding school.

In one dormitory room, he checked some papers being read by a junior. A moment later he chastised the student: “Mbah Idris has forbidden you all from reading this book. It makes you lazy.” The Idris to whom Nabil was referring is none other than Kiai