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Kyai Subhan at the pesantren in Brebes, Central Java
© UNICEF Indonesia/2014/Iwan
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BREBES, Indonesia, April 2014 - Subhan
Makmun, known as Kyai Subhan, looks like a typical traditional Islamic scholar
or ulama. He lives among thousands of his students in an Islamic boarding school
in Brebes, Central Java. He wears a traditional sarong and a black Malay cap.
But looks can be deceiving. Subhan’s view
on Islamic Syariah is very progressive. “Islam is not narrow but broad,” he says.
Kyai Subhan is one of the most revered
ulamas in Central Java thanks to his vast knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence.
But classical Islamic books are not the only books he reads. He says he’s read
“Facts for Life”, a book on child care published by UNICEF in association with
several other UN agencies.
