Ramadan on Campus is one of events during the month of Ramadan that is annually held at UGM apart from dialogue, inspiring talks, festival, cultural performance, and free iftar. For the hosting of the event, UGM commits itself to promoting pluralism and nationalism in line with UGM identity.
“Universitas Gadjah Mada is a university that has the identity as a national university, university of battle, University of Pancasila, university of the people, and cultural centre university. So, each academic and non- academic events being held on campus, including religious events, has to put first the value of pluralism and nationalism in line with that identity,” said Rector of UGM, Prof. Ir. Panut Mulyono, M.Eng., D.Eng., in a press conference on Friday (18/5) at UGM Main Office.
Related to the preachers that would be presented during the Ramadan events, Panut said they had to have deep understanding and commitment to maintain the valence and dignity of humanity and values of nationalism for the sake of unity, peace, harmony, and cohesion.
“Because we have a campus mosque, the mosque has to be utilised as our place to seek for religious knowledge which is also contextual with the knowledge we learn on the campus. When we look for preachers, we seek for those voicing peace, nationalism, and so on,” he added.
In line with the various response from the society on the preachers invited for the event, the university leadership and event committee had taken a step to replace the preachers that would possibly stir polemics among society.
According to Panut, this had been decided between the event committee, mosque committee, and university leadership by considering the participants, preachers and society. He added which preachers would be replaced were still being discussed but would soon be announced. He mentioned that these preachers were among others those that are affiliated with organisations already banned by the government.
“We will soon announce the change. We hope a peaceful and harmonious condition will take place immediately for the people,” he said.
University leadership is now devising guidelines and mechanism for selecting preachers for the mosque. “We have improved the mechanism so that polemics wouldn’t appear,” said Vice-Rector for Education, Teaching, and Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. Ir. Djagal Wiseso Marseno, M.Agr.