Syekh Abdul Salam Panji Gumilan, clad in black suit and turban, looks young for his 56 years. His expression is open. "Please, have a look at our pesantren. Let one of my staff be your guide," said Panji. The headmaster of the Azzaitun Islamic Boarding School, or pesantren, in Indra-mayu, West Java, was willing to meet TEMPO for an interview on April 19.

Openness is not the first word that comes to mind when discussing Azzaitun,