Indonesian teachers from Koranic schools visited the Foundation to exchange ideas with experts from the Max Planck Foundation and Max Planck Institute on the role of religion in legislation and the administration of justice
Five teachers from Koranic schools (pesantren) in different Indonesian provinces came to the Max Planck Foundation on 6 May 2014 for discussions on the relationship between religion and law. Their visit to Heidelberg was part of a study trip organised by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Amongst the visitors was Prof. Irfan Abubakar, the director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Culture at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University in Jakarta.
The discussions dealt with the role of religion in legislation and the application of law from a comparative perspective. The Indonesian guests explained the relationship between religion and law in their home country, where the jurisdiction of State and Islamic law is fundamentally separated depending on the area of law affected. Particular attention was given to the Aceh province, where Islamic jurisdiction has gained primacy following a long and violent conflict.
Prof. Dr. Rainer Grote, having already welcomed the group at the nearby Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, outlined the range of possibilities for constitutional regulations using numerous examples from Arab States. Dr. Tilmann J. Röder described the relationship between State, religious and traditional forms of conflict resolution from a grassroots perspective, based on experience from countries where the Foundation has projects. The discussions proved to be informative for both sides.