Ulemas urge holiday during Ramadhan<\/p>\n
BAGU, West Nusa Tenggara (JP): Indonesia's largest Moslem
\norganization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), concluded its national
\nconference yesterday with a call for the government to, among
\nothers, declare the Moslem fasting month of Ramadhan a school
\nholiday.<\/p>\n
The ulemas also asked the government to manage the yearly haj
\npilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in a transparent and
\nprofessional manner.<\/p>\n
The Rais Aam (chairman) of the syuriyah (lawmaking body),
\nIlyas Rukhiat, closed the gathering held here, some 17 kilometers
\neast of Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
The ulemas also decided to reject the motion of Abdurrahman
\nWahid, the influential chairman of the organization's executive
\nboard, to hold a congress and leadership election next year
\ninstead of in 1999 as scheduled.<\/p>\n
The conference, however, failed to decide who would host the
\n1999 congress. Five chapters have expressed interest in staging
\nthe politically important congress; they are East and Central
\nJava, Lampung, South Kalimantan and South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
The decision disappointed leaders of the Yogyakarta chapter
\nwhich supported an early congress. Chapter secretary Nuruddin
\nAmin said the proposal to hold an early congress did not signify
\na wish to topple Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
He conceded, however, that the chapter wished to see
\nAbdurrahman not as chairman of the executive board (known as
\ntanfidzyah) but leader of the lawmaking body. Abdurrahman's
\ncritics have said that the prominent scholar and his activities
\noften eclipse the lawmaking body.<\/p>\n
The conference's taushiyah (recommendations), which were read
\nout by the NU's deputy secretary-general, Arifin Junaedi, and
\nsenior ulema Cholil Bisri, included nine topics of discussion:
\nreligion; education; economy; politics; government;
\nsociocultural; environment; human rights; and security and
\ndefense.<\/p>\n
Religious affairs remained the main topic of the ulemas'
\ndiscussion. They noted that people only understood religion as a
\nritual and separated it from other elements in their daily lives.<\/p>\n
"No wonder a person who is diligent in performing his or her
\nreligious duties can keep on doing munkar (evil things)," Arifin,
\nwho took the first turn in reading out the recommendations, said.<\/p>\n
The ulemas also cited what they alleged was mismanagement in
\nthe organization of the haj pilgrimage and the national education
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
They said the current education system stressed the transfer
\nof science and technology at the expense of character building.
\nThe roles that family, society and the mosques used to play in
\nthe development of a person had been forgotten.<\/p>\n
"We, therefore, ask the government to declare Ramadhan a
\nnational holiday," he said, "as it will give the students the
\nopportunity to get closer to their families, society and their
\nmosques."<\/p>\n
Indonesian students used to spend the Ramadhan month at home
\nbefore then minister of education Daoed Joesoef issued a decree
\nin 1980 stating that Ramadhan was no longer a national holiday.<\/p>\n
Distribution<\/p>\n
The ulemas also said Indonesia's economic achievement had not
\nled to the equal distribution of wealth.<\/p>\n
"Only a small part of the nation enjoys the results of
\ndevelopment, while the biggest part of the nation receives a
\nsmall portion of it," he said, adding that the ulemas considered
\nthe state's economic policy only benefited those already strong.<\/p>\n
They therefore called for the eradication of monopolistic
\npractices.<\/p>\n
"The eradication of monopolistic practices should be part of a
\nnational commitment and be established in a 1998\/2003 decree of
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)," Arifin said.<\/p>\n
Cholil, who continued reading the ulemas' recommendation, said
\nthe NU supported the campaign to make the MPR general session
\nnext March a success.<\/p>\n
However, the NU would not express support for any particular
\ncandidate in next year's presidential and vice presidential
\nelection. This statement was an anticlimax to earlier speculation
\nthat the NU, which forms an influential political base because of
\nits 30 million followers, would openly support certain people for
\nthe next vice presidency. (imn\/43)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ulemas-urge-holiday-during-ramadhan-1447893297",
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