Pancasila Ethical Analysis of the Hijab Restriction in the National Flag-Raising Troop (Paskibraka)

Abstract

The 2024 controversy over hijab use among members of Indonesia's National Flag-Raising Troop (Paskibraka) emerged after Decision of the Pancasila Ideology Development Agency (BPIP) Number 35 of 2024 revised clothing and attribute standards by removing an earlier explicit provision concerning black inner head coverings for hijab-wearing female members. This change generated perceptions of restrictions on religious expression and prompted debate regarding the consistency of state policy with Pancasila values. This study analyzes the policy through the dimensions of Belief in One God, Humanity, Unity, Democracy, and Social Justice, while examining its implications for religious freedom, individual rights, diversity, deliberative participation, and equal treatment. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed through library research on regulations, scholarly articles, official documents, and national news reports, complemented by thematic analysis of respondent views available in the research materials. The findings show that most responses considered the policy not fully aligned with Pancasila ethics. Key concerns involved potential restrictions on religious freedom, psychological pressure on hijab-wearing participants, an interpretation of national unity as visual uniformity, limited participation of affected parties in policy formulation, and unequal opportunities for Muslim women. Respondents also emphasized that nationalism should not be measured by wearing or removing the hijab, but by integrity, discipline, responsibility, and commitment to the nation. Similar policies should therefore be formulated transparently, participatively, and accommodatively so that institutional discipline can be maintained without sacrificing religious freedom and Indonesia's social diversity.