1. Jalaluddin Rakhmat, known by the nickname of Kang Jalal, was an Indonesian academic and politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle who became the member of the People's Representative Council from 2014 until 2019.
18 Facts About Jalaluddin Rakhmat
1. 2.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat's father was a member of the Nahdlatul Ulama Islamic organization, while his mother was a well-known activist in the city.
3.
At the age of two, Jalaluddin Rakhmat's father left him and his mother due to political tensions.
4.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat's mother taught him how to read kitab kuning every night.
5.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat was a keen reader and he often found himself spending time to read the works of philosophers such as Spinoza and Nietzsche in his father's library.
6.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat's father left Arabic religious books in his house, which Jalaluddin read.
7.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat later pursued further higher education in Australia, earning him a doctorate in political science from the Australian National University.
8.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat designed the curriculum for his faculty in the Padjajaran University and gave lectures on various subjects, including Indonesia's political system.
9.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat gave lectures on other universities and institutes, such as at the Bandung Institute of Technology and at the Bandung State Islamic Institute.
10.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat was involved in the establishment of the Jamaah Ahlulbait Indonesia, a Shia Muslim organization, in July 2000.
11.
In 2014, Jalaluddin Rakhmat was turned in to police in Makassar by the Islamic Research and Assessment Institution for obtaining a false doctorate and master's degree, as he did not approve the degrees with the Ministry of Education and Culture despite the fact that they were earned outside Indonesia.
12.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat was a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.
13.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat then ran as a candidate from West Java's 2nd electoral district in the 2014 Indonesian legislative election.
14.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat secured a seat in the People's Representative Council with 56,402 votes.
15.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat was seated in the Commission VIII of the council, which handles religion, social affairs, and the empowerment of women.
16.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat remarked that he would defend minorities such as Shia Muslims and Christians during his tenure in the commission.
17.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat died of COVID-19 in Bandung, at 15.45 on 15 February 2021, at the age of 71.
18.
Jalaluddin Rakhmat was buried on the same day at the Rancaekek cemetery.