Jakarta, Indonesia • Mention an Islamic school and many Americans will conjure a mental image of shaking fists, chanting students and hateful slogans aimed at Western enemies.
Such pictures, though, do not apply to the Darunnajah Islamic Boarding School in South Jakarta (a short drive from downtown unless there is a soul-crushing traffic jam) or to the polite, sophisticated Muslim students who spend their days and nights on the manicured campus.
Its aim is to provide a modern, progressive education that balances religious training with secular knowledge, offering specific expertise in technology. It works to produce ambitious female and male graduates who travel, work and contribute to a wider society.