THE MAHAD

Akbar

THE MAHAD

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: Behind the Scenes at an Islamic Boarding School

I traveled to Indonesia with a documentary film crew to document a conference on Songs of Peace and Reconciliation.   The Luce Foundation funded this gathering of ethnomusicologists who study and create music.  The hope was that serious reflection on the power of music could push us past the significant tensions  inflamed by the events of 9/11 and the subsequent “War on Terror.”  Quite a tall task to place upon these musicians and scholars!
Amongst the most dynamic models of peace and reconciliation was Irfan Amalee.   This sharp Muslim thinker joined forces with an American, Eric Lincoln, to create ‘Peace Generation.’   They’re committed to training the next generation of Indonesian students to practice peace.    Irfan and Eric have created a series of booklets founded around 12 bridge building/peacemaking principles.   Over 20,000  elementary school students have worked through their curriculum.

Irfan’s heart resides most with his fellow Sundanese people.   On our first night in Bandung, he took us to the most amazing Sundanese restaurant.   The restaurant offers what we might call, authentic “downhome” cooking.   The array of vegetarian dishes was staggering.   All were prepared according to strict Muslim dietary codes.   My favorites were a sublime eggplant, the saltiest fish I’ve tasted and a fresh baked bread.    This delicious dinner for cost just $15 for five of us.    Like many of the locals, I’d be tempted to come here for supper every night.   The old school “owner has even become a bit of celebrity.

The next morning we headed for the hills, to the mountain community of Garut. This area is home to the Sundanese people.    Terraced rice paddies line the sides of active volcanoes.   Horse drawn carriages take people to and from the market.   The Spring rice crop was ready to be harvested.

Irfan wanted us to meet the future Muhammadian leaders of Indonesia.   He secured access for our documentary film crew to get behind the gates of his Islamic Boarding School.   What a rare opportunity!   These are mysterious ideology factories we fear in the West.   Is it a training ground for future suicide bombers?   What kind of animosity toward America is being preached to the next generation?

As we entered the Mahad’s campus, a group of junior high school girls lined the steps of their prayer area.   A teacher sat atop the steps, expounding on the Koran.   This is the kind of scene we question.   Are these young women being oppressed?   What kind of indoctrination are they being exposed to?   As he asked questions, they answered with profound vigor.   Yet, the tone in their voices was anything but militant.  There was laughter, joy, a sense of shared discovery.   We would all wish for such a warm and engaging teacher. We were also invited to see students taking exams.   The walls in the classrooms contained both Koranic verses as well as colorful paintings and drawings.

The presence of our cameras created quite a stir.   But the teachers did not bristle at our disruptions.  The classes continued until the call to noon prayer.    The boys washed their feet in ritual cleansing and preparation.   The girls adorned themselves in the bride-like covers.   Women gathered in the first floor for prayer.  The men upstairs.   Such segregation seemed wise if teachers hoped to get teenagers to focus on prayer five times a day.

The boarding students practice quite a rigorous schedule.  They rise at 4am for the first round of prayers.   They have two hours of study before breakfast at 6:30.   A second block of classes in math, science, English, and Arabic occurs from 7am to Noon.   After lunch, they have free time until 4, when their third class session runs until evening prayers at 6.   After dinner, comes their fourth round of classes from 7pm to 9pm.    Study time is from 9 to 11 before lights out.   They follow this structured schedule six days a week.
So how do they spend their three hours of free time?   Some engaged in sports.  The boys we talked to were Los Angeles Lakers fans.   They followed the athletic exploits of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.   Another group of students channeled their energy into music.   We went to a jam session with the power pop band, ‘The Mahad’.   Their name translates as “Boarding School.”  And their songs deal with their teachers, their friends, their everyday lives on campus.   I thought about how Lynyrd Skynyrd named themselves after their high school teacher.  Could these aspiring rockers achieve similar fame and acclaim?

When were arrived at the recording studio, another band was finishing up their rehearsal.   Ear splitting heavy metal spilled past the soundproof walls.   The juxtaposition with the rigor of their high school campus was jarring.   What kind of austere Muslim training could also create such raucous, western sounds?   The Mahad plugged in their electric guitars and let it rip.   Green Day would be proud of their proto-punk sound.   I asked our translator to explain the songs.   “Gentlemen Nggak Ngegenk” is about Indonesian gangs.  It challenges listeners to resist the temptation, to be a gentleman instead of a gangster.    Check out their snappy YouTube video here. This was positive punk rock, the kind of stadium-rousing anthems that U2 defined.   Yet, the roots of their “peace songs” came from “Salaam”, the Muslim word for “Peace.”  The Mahad were practicing for their first big concert in downtown Bandung, a rally called “Rock the Peace.”

After their practice, we did an on camera interview that echoed the kinds of ‘in the studio’ scenes we used to see on MTV.   I asked them about 9/11 and the mutual suspicion that followed.   They insisted that the perpetrators misunderstood the intention of the Koran.   It is a religion of peace rather than war.    “What about the bombing in Bali?”   They asked us not to believe everything the media says.   That was an imported event, not rooted in Indonesian Islam.   “What did we in the west need to know about Indonesia?”   They hoped we would simply come and see what is being taught, preached and practiced.   Having shared their school and their songs, it was now up to me to tell their story.   I hope my documentary can capture the pure energy and profound insights of The Mahad.
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