Religious leaders protest NU support of woman president<\/p>\n
PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): Several religious leaders who
\nare members of the country's largest Muslim organization,
\nNahdlatul Ulama (NU), and the National Awakening Party (PKB),
\nprotested on late Friday and on Saturday a statement by their own
\nleaders regarding the endorsement of NU and PKB of a woman
\npresident.<\/p>\n
An executive of PKB and the principal of a Muslim boarding
\nschool (pesantren) in Demak, Ladzif Zuhri, said after Abdurrahman
\nhad left a national seminar on gender here, "We should not sell
\n(Koran) chapters and other religious rules so cheaply just for
\nthe sake of political interest."<\/p>\n
Similar protests were aired inside and outside the seminar,
\nheld in Baturaden by NU ahead of its national meeting in
\nNovember.<\/p>\n
The religious leaders regretted that the endorsement was on
\nbehalf of NU and PKB. The leaders said they supported Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri based on analysis of religious teachings because
\nshe happened to be the only woman presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
On Friday, despite earlier reports of differing views among
\nulema within the 30-million strong NU regarding the issue,
\nAbdurrahman said NU would support Megawati as president, arguing
\nIslam did not oppose women presidents.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman is also PKB's founder and presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
At the seminar, PKB chairman Matori Abdul Djalil said PKB also
\nsupported Megawati, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party
\nof Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), as presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
In a press release, the ulema stated that the seminar
\nprojected the image of seeking justification to support Megawati
\nas president, given the statements of both NU and PKB executives.<\/p>\n
The statement cited the timing of the seminar ahead of NU's
\nnational meeting and the upcoming presidential election.<\/p>\n
The statement was issued by leading representatives of both
\nPKB and NU: Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Amien Soleh, Imron Hamzah,
\nChusen M. and Noer Iskandar.<\/p>\n
"The seminar on gender ... is a scientific, not a political
\nanalysis ... (it) would be too early for NU and PKB state their
\nsupport to Megawati to become president without reserve," the
\nstatement said.<\/p>\n
In another media conference on the issue, NU and PKB
\nexecutives of the organizing committee -- Said Aqiel Siraj, Rozy
\nMunir and Arifin Junaedi -- stated the agreements in the seminar
\nwould not automatically be endorsed in the upcoming NU national
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
"Fifty percent of the ulema in this forum are women," Arifin
\nsaid without elaborating. "It is not our business if this forum
\nis manipulated for political interests."<\/p>\n
Also on Saturday, Said separately said his Semesta Foundation
\nwas conducting a poll on 1,000 religious leaders in NU on whether
\nthey can accept a woman president.<\/p>\n
So far, 300 have responded, out of which 30 said they rejected
\na woman president.<\/p>\n
From Jember, East Java Antara reported on Sunday that
\nIndonesia's second largest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah,
\nimplied that gender of the next president was not an issue.<\/p>\n
The organization's deputy, Abdul Munir Mulkhan, said after
\naddressing a graduation ceremony at Muhammadiyah University:
\n"Anyone who becomes president, Megawati or any other person, will
\nbe fully accepted by Muhammadiyah."<\/p>\n
"This does not mean Muhammadiyah supports Megawati, but we are
\nleaving it to the mechanisms within the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (which will elect the president)," he said.<\/p>\n
However, the low-profile Megawati should immediately make
\nknown her stance and her party's plans, he said.<\/p>\n
In his address at the ceremony, he said the loss of Muslim
\nparties in the June 7 poll was because they failed to heed to the
\nneeds of workers, poor farmers and the young generation.<\/p>\n
In Tangerang, Greater Jakarta, Megawati loyalists added unique
\nproof of their support to their presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
Both women and men, to laughter from onlookers, used lipstick
\nprovided by organizers for passersby on Sunday on Jl. M.H.
\nThamrin, and kissed a cloth or paper to mark their support.<\/p>\n
They also signed their support in books and on banners at the
\nevent, supported by a local branch of PDI Perjuangan.<\/p>\n
One participant, teenager Anik Sugiarti, praised Megawati for
\nbeing "consistent and honest" and refraining from talking
\n"nonsense." Public transportation drivers also joined in the
\naction.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta on Sunday, clerics of Greater Jakarta gathered for
\na commemoration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad and a
\nthanksgiving after the relatively peaceful poll. The clerics
\ncongratulated PDI Perjuangan, which leads with 38 million votes.<\/p>\n
A leading ulema here, Habaib Abdurrahman Al-Habsy, said the
\nexpression of support should not be made in blood, "but should be
\nrecorded in gold". Hundreds of people in several cities have
\npricked their thumbs and given blood prints to express support
\nfor Megawati amid the controversy of her presidential bid.<\/p>\n
On Saturday, chairwoman of the Indonesian National Party led
\nby Supeni (PNI-Supeni) said the party also supported Megawati as
\nthe next president.<\/p>\n
"The results of the poll show that the people want Megawati as
\nthe next president," Mrs. Supeni was quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
The tiny party, one of several claiming to be based on the
\noriginal PNI and the teachings of the late president Sukarno,
\nMegawati's father, only gained 377,137 votes.(45\/41\/anr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/religious-leaders-protest-nu-support-of-woman-president-1447893297",
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