Nahdlatul Ulama untangles itself from politics<\/p>\n
By Mitsuo Nakamura<\/p>\n
CHIBA, Japan (JP): Originally, the Nahdlatul Ulama was non-
\npolitical when it was established in 1926. The Khittah of 1926
\n(basic guidelines) defined the Nahdlatul Ulama as an Islamic
\nreligious organization devoted to religious education and the
\nenhancement of the well-being of the Moslem community.<\/p>\n
However, as an organization with vast mass-support in rural
\nareas through pondok pesantren (boarding schools for traditional
\nIslamic education), the Nahdlatul Ulama started to get involved
\nin the process for the independence of Indonesia, through the
\nWorld War II and also in various efforts for nation-building
\nthroughout the Sukarno era.<\/p>\n
It first joined politics as a part of the United Moslem
\nPolitical Party, Masyumi, from 1945 to 1952 and then became an
\nindependent political party of its own from 1952 to 1973. It
\nappeared as one of the four largest parties in the general
\nelection of 1955, obtaining 18.4 percent of total votes.<\/p>\n
After working with the Armed Forces under Gen. Soeharto, to
\nusher in the New Order through the 1965-66 turmoil, the Nahdlatul
\nUlama started to lose legislative as well as administrative
\npositions in the new political constellation dominated by the
\ngovernment's Golkar.<\/p>\n
In 1973, together with other Moslem political parties, the
\nNahdlatul Ulama was finally fused into the United Development
\nParty and kept at a distance from power centers. Under these
\ncircumstances, the Nahdlatul Ulama, or more exactly Nahdlatul
\nUlama elements in the development party, increasingly tended to
\nchannel grievances of the masses to the government, which
\notherwise had difficulties finding outlets.<\/p>\n
Alarmed by this resilience or resurgence of Moslem militancy,
\nthe authorities adopted a number of policies to deter the revival
\nof Islamic political forces. Hence, rising tensions and even open
\nconflicts during the years between the late 1970's and the early
\n1980's.<\/p>\n
The government was to put an end to this situation by
\nrequesting all social organizations, including religious ones, to
\naccept Pancasila (Five Principles) as their Asas Tunggal (sole
\nfoundation). After intensive discussions among its members the
\nNahdlatul Ulama congress in 1984 decided to comply with this
\nrequest, not passively but rather positively.<\/p>\n
It declared that it would not aim for the establishment of an
\nIslamic state at all but would operate in order to consolidate
\nnational unity in the framework of Pancasila. At the same time,
\nit re-confirmed the identity of Nahdlatul Ulama as an Islamic
\nreligious organization, hence the return to the Khittah of 1926.<\/p>\n
It also re-established the supremacy of the leadership of
\nulama (religious scholars) over politicians and organization
\nactivists.<\/p>\n
Significance of the Nahdlatul Ulama's acceptance of Asas
\nTunggal Pancasila (sole ideology), combined with its return to
\nthe Khittah of 1926 was great. Of all Moslem organizations that
\nfinally accepted Pancasila as the sole foundation, the Nahdlatul
\nUlama's bold initiative helped open a new era of social harmony
\nand national unity between the government and Moslem
\norganizations and between Moslem and non-Moslem communities.<\/p>\n
Implementation of the Nahdlatul Ulama's decision to withdraw
\nfrom \"practical politics\" meant its departure from the United
\nDevelopment Party organization.<\/p>\n
Only individual politicians of the Nahdlatul Ulama affiliation
\nwere to remain in the party. This process did experience
\ndifficulties with the development party under the leadership of
\nJohn Naro. He took advantage of Nahdlatul Ulama's new move for
\nthe control of the development party's leadership by his own
\nfaction, causing the famous \"deflation campaign\" of the Nahdlatul
\nUlama against the development party in the 1987 election.<\/p>\n
The development party's votes shrank significantly. Although
\nthe leadership of the development party has changed from Naro to
\nIsmail Hassan Metareum, the Nahdlatul Ulama leadership is still
\nuneasy with the development party. The Nahdlatul Ulama elements
\nloyal to the Khittah of 1926 were excluded from its top
\nleadership in the latest congress of the National Development
\nParty held in August-September 1994.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, recent talks about the possible birth of a new
\npolitical party by frustrated Nahdlatul Ulama politicians, a
\nclear reversal of the Khittah of 1926, seem to be groundless
\nsince it is now so deeply rooted in the Nahdlatul Ulama
\norganization.<\/p>",
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