Dozens of people claiming to be residents of Sindang Jaya district, Tangerang, have rejected the assignment of Endang Sulistyawati as district head because she is a woman.
Endang was inaugurated last week by Tangerang Regent Ahmed Zaki Iskandar, replacing the late Abdul Hijjah.
“The MUI [Indonesian Ulema Council], NU [Nahdatul Ulama] and the community leader here reject [Endang] because the law of Islam prohibits women from holding leadership positions,” said Bai Tohawi, head of the MUI’s Sindang Jaya chapter, in a rally on Saturday.
He said that a number of Islamic boarding schools were located in the district, which produced strict adherents of Islamic law who demanded a male leader.
“We have sent text messages and called the regent and the regional secretary [to replace Endang]. We will stage a rally on Monday if they don’t respond,” Bai said.
Commenting on the protest, Ahmed said he urged the Sindang Jaya community to be more openminded.
“Nowadays, there are many women leaders. As long as they can do their jobs well, what’s the problem,” he said.
This is not the first time local people have voiced an objection to a woman district leader.
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