NU chief asks Amien, Gus Dur to end feud<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Hasyim Muzadi, chairman of the largest Muslim
\norganization Nadhlatul Ulama (NU), called on President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid and People's Consultative Assembly speaker
\nAmien Rais to end their personal row to help calm their
\nsupporters at the grassroots level.<\/p>\n
He said the heightened tension between NU supporters and those
\nsupporting Muhammadiyah stem from the two statesmen's row.<\/p>\n
\"We are now putting out the fire,\" he said in a meeting of the
\nAssociation of NU University Graduates here on Monday.<\/p>\n
The perceived tension between Abdurrahman and his critics has
\nheightened political tension particularly among their supporters
\nin East Java.<\/p>\n
Amien has criticized Abdurrahman urging him to step down in
\nview of the government's poor performance.<\/p>\n
The President has countered Amien and his critics daring them
\nto hold a special Assembly session to impeach him.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman however has also rebuked his supporters for going
\ntoo far in their expression of support for him against those who
\ncriticize him.<\/p>\n
Hasyim said on Monday Amien's criticism against the President
\nspurred NU members to take action in several towns in East Java,
\nwhich is known as a strong bastion for NU.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless he also conceded that NU supporters have
\nmisunderstood the row since it really had nothing to do with the
\ntwo major Muslim organizations.<\/p>\n
\"What has been reported is a distortion of an emotional
\nsituation where NU supporters are getting angered by the row in
\nJakarta,\" he said<\/p>\n
He also denied reports that NU's East Java provincial chapter
\nhad barred Amien from visiting Pasuruan on Saturday, saying: \"I
\nhave checked on it with Ali Maschan Moesa, chairman of NU's
\nprovincial chapter in East Java and he claimed he never prevented
\nAmien from visiting Pasuruan.\"<\/p>\n
Hasyim said he has also recently met with Muhammadiyah
\nchairman Syafii Maarif to discuss efforts to solve the conflict.<\/p>\n
\"We are of the opinion that the row between the two leaders
\nhas no relation with the two organizations and agreed to make
\nefforts to quell the tension as soon as possible,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said he and Syafei would make a joint visit to several
\ntowns in East Java to help calm the situation immediately.<\/p>\n
\"We are seeking an appropriate time to conduct the joint
\nvisit,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Asked whether the two organizations would take an initiative
\nto bring the two conflicting leaders to meet to end their row,
\nHasyim said he and Syafei did not discuss the idea.<\/p>\n
\"The recent meeting did not touch on that matter because we
\nare of the opinion that the conflict between the President and
\nthe Assembly speaker has nothing to do with the internal matters
\nof the two organizations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in Surabaya, 19 young NU ulemas expressed their
\nsupport for the national leadership under Abdurrahman and,
\nsimultaneously, criticized eight political figures who they said
\nhave issued misleading statements that raised confusion among the
\npeople.<\/p>\n
potong di sini<\/p>\n
The ulemas' support was declared by their spokesman Fachrur
\nRozi Cholili, before a number of members of the East Java
\nprovincial legislative council who received them on Monday.<\/p>\n
Fachrur called on the eight political figures to stop issuing
\nanti-Gus Dur statements that have raised confusion among the
\npeople and ulemas in the province.<\/p>\n
The eight figures were identified as Amien Rais, former
\nfinance minister Fuad Bawazir, House of Representatives Speaker
\nAkbar Tandjung, Crescent Star Party (PBB) legislators Achmad
\nSumargono and Hartono Mardjono, National Mandate Party (PAN)
\nlegislator Alvin Lie, and Golkar Party legislators Ade Komaruddin
\nand Priyo Budi Santoso.<\/p>\n
Further expression of support was also demonstrated when about
\n1,000 youths greeted the President when he arrived in Semarang,
\nCentral Java, to attend a seminar on Islam and Humanism.<\/p>\n
The youths in their oration said they supported the national
\nleadership under Abdurrahman and Vice President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri who have a right to govern until their term ends in
\n2004.(rms\/nur\/har)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nu-chief-asks-amien-gus-dur-to-end-feud-1447893297",
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