Gus Dur, Abu Hasan advised to make peace<\/p>\n
SEMARANG (JP): Prominent Moslem leaders yesterday renewed
\ntheir call for Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Abdurrahman Wahid
\nand his arch political foe Abu Hasan to make peace.<\/p>\n
Cholil Bisri and Emha Ainun Nadjib said that like all other
\nMoslems across Indonesia, Abdurrahman (known as Gus Dur) and Abu
\nshould have forgiven each other after the end of the Ramadhan
\nfasting month.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur and Abu Hasan should apologize to all Indonesian
\nMoslems because their enmity has caused unrest among the Moslem
\ncommunity,\" Cholil told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Abu has been contesting the NU leadership since the
\norganization's congress in Cipasung, West Java, in December 1994.
\nHe lost the election to the incumbent Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
After he was left out of the new NU executive board, he
\nlaunched a campaign to unseat Abdurrahman from the NU leadership
\nboard.<\/p>\n
First, he accused Abdurrahman of cheating in the election.
\nThen, he threatened to take his rival to court for suggesting
\nthat he had accepted kickbacks. The threat was never carried out.<\/p>\n
Their enmity heightened further when Abu Hassan organized a
\ncongress of his own and got himself appointed as an alternative
\nNU chairman. Although he reportedly had the support of some
\ngovernment officials, his claim to the NU leadership was never
\nrecognized.<\/p>\n
Cholil, leader of a prestigious Islamic boarding school in the
\nCentral Java town of Rembang, said the 30 million NU members
\nacross Indonesia are tired of the prolonged leadership conflict.<\/p>\n
\"All efforts to bring Gus Dur and Abu Hasan together have
\nended in failure,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Emha Ainun Nadjib, also well-known as a political observer,
\nreminded Abdurrahman and Abu that it is high time NU members
\nfocused on strengthening their Moslem solidarity.<\/p>\n
\"Indonesian Moslems, especially NU members, should stop their
\nconflict,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Instead Indonesian Moslems must fight for common objectives,
\nincluding greater democracy. \"To face the common challenges, the
\nNU should not disintegrate. NU leaders should use their time and
\nenergy to prepare concrete programs to help members,\" Emha said<\/p>\n
Amien Rais, who heads Muhammadiyah, another influential Moslem
\norganization, said he opposed any idea to involve a third party
\nas mediator in the NU internal rift saga.<\/p>\n
He said he believed the NU senior leaders have the capability
\nto resolve their own problem. \"The presence of a third party,
\nincluding the government, is unnecessary.\"<\/p>\n
As chairman of Indonesia's largest Moslem organization,
\nAbdurrahman Wahid has been courted by political parties ahead of
\nnext year's House of Representatives election.<\/p>\n
He is known to have a close relation with the chief of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party Megawati Soekarnoputri although he is
\nknown to have maintained his Golkar membership.<\/p>\n
He once served as a member of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly representing Golkar.<\/p>\n
Moestahid Astari, Golkar's deputy secretary, said yesterday he
\nwas optimistic Abdurrahman was still loyal to Golkar.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur has not rescinded his Golkar membership, so I believe
\nhe is still a Golkar man. There is no problem,\" Moestahid told
\njournalists.<\/p>\n
He said Golkar has nothing to worry about over Abdurrahman's
\nclose relations with Megawati. (har\/pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/gus-dur-abu-hasan-advised-to-make-peace-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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