The NU congress<\/p>\n
Today, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is scheduled to start its
\ncongress in Tasikmalaya, West Java. Without a doubt, it is one of
\nthe year's most important political events and one of the most
\ninteresting to watch.<\/p>\n
What makes the event interesting is not only the fact that NU,
\nwith a following of an estimated 30 million, is the biggest non-
\ngovernmental organization in this country. No less interesting is
\nwatching to see how this organization will set out its future
\ncourse and elect its leaders free of the government's
\nintervention. In other words, its current meeting is a test for
\nIndonesian democracy.<\/p>\n
Up to about a decade ago there was no shortage of people who
\nmocked the Nahdlatul Ulama for its apparent passiveness. Its
\ninitial letters, NU, were said to stand for the Javanese phrase
\nnunut urip, which roughly means to passively follow in someone's
\nfootsteps simply to continue to survive.<\/p>\n
Obviously, this was a reference to the organization's
\nperceived inclination to support government policies in order to
\nensure its political survival. There seems to be some truth in
\nthis perception, judging by the way in which NU's policies in the
\npast were always in conformity with those of the government.<\/p>\n
However, things started to change in 1984, when NU adopted the
\nKhittah of 1926, or basic guidelines, which stressed the
\norganization's determination to stay away from practical
\npolitics. In that year, NU elected Abdurrahman Wahid, who is
\npopularly known as Gus Dur, as its chairman.<\/p>\n
It has been under the leadership of Gus Dur that NU has
\nchanged its image of docility and turned into an organization
\nthat can be truly called independent. What is more, under Gus
\nDur's leadership NU has managed not only to maintain this
\nindependence, but even to enlarge on it. It is under his steering
\nthat people, including the government, have begun to realize NU's
\nreal and enormous potential.<\/p>\n
A controversial figure, Abdurrahman Wahid is widely known, not
\nonly for his intellectual capabilities, but also for his
\ndemocratic ideas. He was one of the first Moslem leaders in this
\ncountry to draw a line between religion and politics, stating
\nthat there was no concept of an Islamic state in Islam. His Forum
\nDemokrasi, a small but influential group, has shown its
\ncommitment towards speeding up the nation's democratization
\nprocess.<\/p>\n
In past years, Gus Dur's outspokenness often offended many
\npeople, including government officials, and sometimes even
\nconfused NU members. His popularity among the public at large and
\nhis impeccable family background as a grandson of NU's founder,
\nhowever, has so far ensured his political survival.<\/p>\n
Weeks before the present congress, rumors began circulating
\nthat the government would prefer someone else to lead NU. Some
\nnewspapers even reported that certain NU branches have been
\npressured not to re-elect Gus Dur. Still, Gus Dur's position
\nseemed unaffected by those pressures. Minister\/State Secretary
\nMoerdiono's reported statement the other day, hinting that Gus
\nDur still had a chance of retaining his position, was in fact an
\nimportant message that the government has no objection to the re-
\nelection of Gus Dur.<\/p>\n
We believe, however, that all of this will not stop other
\nparties from trying to stop or challenge Gus Dur. Yet, barring
\nany unexpected developments, it is likely that Gus Dur will be
\nre-elected as NU executive chairman for another five-year term in
\noffice.<\/p>\n
With NU remaining under the helmsmanship of so colorful and
\ngenial a figure as Gus Dur, we can expect that politics in the
\nforeseeable future will not be too dull in this country. Gus
\nDur's re-election also could help push forward the
\ndemocratization process in this country. Besides, as one expert
\nobserved, NU under the leadership of Gus Dur may help to improve
\nthe image of Islam in Indonesia and in the world.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-nu-congress-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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