NU dissenters hold extraordinary congress<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Dissenters of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem
\norganization, taking advantage of the authorities' ambiguous
\nstance over their existence, held an extraordinary congress
\nyesterday to establish a rival executive board.<\/p>\n
Abu Hasan, who lost the chairmanship election to incumbent
\nAbdurrahman Wahid at the Moslem group's congress in Dec. 1994,
\nopened the congress despite lacking police permits.<\/p>\n
Attended by some 500 participants claiming to represent 23
\nregional branches and 225 units at regency level, the gathering
\nestablished a board which is structurally similar to
\nAbdurrahman's board.<\/p>\n
Abu Hasan was elected chairman of the rival Tanfidzyah
\n(executive board), while outspoken ulema K.H. Hamid Baidlawi was
\nwidely favored to sit at the helm of the Syuriah (law making
\nbody).<\/p>\n
On the board produced at the 1994 congress in Cipasung, West
\nJava, Abdurrahman Wahid is the chairman of the Tanfidzyah, while
\nrespected ulema K.H. Ilyas Ruchyat sits at Syuriah.<\/p>\n
\"I am confident that the government will recognize the results
\nof this extraordinary congress,\" Abu Hasan told reporters
\ncovering the event. \"Whoever is elected in this congress will
\nfunction as a bridge between this board and (Abdurrahman's)
\nboard.\"<\/p>\n
The congress proceeded relatively smoothly, although there
\nwere reportedly attempts by the police to persuade the organizers
\nto stop the meeting. Lower level officers, however, appeared to
\nbe at a loss as to how to react to the meeting.<\/p>\n
The National Police Headquarters announced yesterday it did
\nnot issue any permits for the gathering.<\/p>\n
Abu Hasan said he did not need permits to hold the gathering
\nunder the recently issued decree which abolished the requirements
\nfor organizations to need gathering permits. The decree
\nstipulates that organizations have only to notify the authorities
\nof their plans.<\/p>\n
Sources at the local police office told The Jakarta Post and
\nKompas that they had just turned a blind eye to the proceedings,
\neven though there were a number of inconsistencies in Abu Hasan's
\nnotification.<\/p>\n
\"If the meeting proceeds in a way which is consistent with the
\norganizer's application for permits, we'll just do this..\" a
\npolice officer said, gesturing to cover his eyes.<\/p>\n
\"This is not to say that there are no problems regarding
\npermits, but what can we do? We have instructions from our
\nsuperiors,\" he said, requesting anonymity.<\/p>\n
In his letter of notification to the National Police
\nHeadquarters, Abu Hasan said his group would hold a \"grand
\nconference\" with the intention to silaturahmi (strengthen)
\nbrotherly ties. In it, the participants would only \"pray and talk
\nabout religious matters\".<\/p>\n
Abu Hasan also claimed that his group would not hold an
\nextraordinary congress.<\/p>\n
As it turned out, however, the \"grand conference with the
\nintention to strengthen brotherly ties\" developed into a congress
\nfrom the outset. Abu Hasan opened the morning session himself,
\nand launched a critical speech of Abdurrahman's board.<\/p>\n
Abu Hasan pointed out that his was not a rival board; it was,
\ninstead, the legitimate board because Abdurrahman's board was
\nproduced in a rigged election.<\/p>\n
\"It is now up to you all, whether you want to return to
\n(Abdurrahman's) board,\" he said to the NU ulemas, some of whom
\nadmitted that they did not realize they had been invited to
\nJakarta to establish a rival board.<\/p>\n
\"You decide,\" Abu Hasan said. \"Remember the people. If you
\nrefuse, then I'll probably go to heaven alone.\"<\/p>\n
In the afternoon session, a number of unscheduled events, such
\nas the plenary session in which participants aired their
\ncriticism about Abdurrahman's board, were held. This peaked in
\nthe holding of the extraordinary congress in the evening.<\/p>\n
Abu Hasan and the other organizers claimed that the number of
\nparticipants were enough to justify their quest to dissolve
\nAbdurrahman's board and change the organization's statutes.<\/p>\n
Abu also criticized Abdurrahman for threatening to dismiss NU
\nmembers who attended the \"grand conference\" or the \"extraordinary
\ncongress\". \"His stance is really undemocratic, and does not
\nreflect ahlaqul karimah (good conduct),\" Abu said.<\/p>\n
The government has been giving conflicting parties within the
\nlargest Moslem organization mixed signals. Soon after the 1994
\ncongress, when Abu Hasan declared his opposition to Abdurrahman's
\nboard, the government said the congress was not yet \"finished\".<\/p>\n
More recently, however, some officials said Abdurrahman's
\nboard was the legitimate one and that they could not tolerate Abu
\nHasan if he \"went too far\" and established a rival board. (swe)<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nu-dissenters-hold-extraordinary-congress-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }