15-day open house proves followers' respect for Gus Dur

15-day open house proves followers' respect for Gus Dur

JAKARTA (JP): The around 1,000 visitors to Abdurrahman Wahid's
residence in Ciganjur, South Jakarta, during his 15-day "open
house" program bore witness to the large number of people who
looked up to him as their leader.

Politicians, scholars, farmers, students, parents who wanted a
name for their newborns, travelers who ran out of money, and
mentally ill people were among the guests of the chairman of
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Islamic organization in the program that
started on Dec. 20.

"It's been a long time since common people like us could talk
person to person with their leader," said Mariam, a mother of
three.

Sastro, an aide of Abdurrahman, also known as Gus Dur, spoke
of how one day a man claiming to be the messenger of God came and
talked at length about the various problems besetting the nation.

"Then he lifted his left palm to his head, while his right
hand pointed to his stomach, and said 'I want to go home, I need
some money'," according to Sastro.

"Gus Dur laughed his lungs out. A messenger of God asking for
money!" said Sastro, who, together with a number of other
helpers, diligently took notes of all of discussions that
transpired in Abdurrahman's meetings with his guests. They also
provided many of the guests with meals for breaking their fast.

"We received guests starting from 8 a.m. up to noon... and
continue at about 4 p.m. until after the breaking of the fast,"
according to Sastro, who is also a postgraduate student at the
University of Indonesia.

On another occasion, 65-year-old Suprapto went to see
Abdurrahman over a dispute concerning his land in Kutoarjo,
Central Java.

"That land belonged to my great great great grandparents. Now
there are people who want to take it away... they said I do not
have legal papers," Suprapto complained.

Abdurrahman gave him some contacts in the Nahdlatul Ulama
branch near Kutoarjo. "Suprapto then thanked everybody in the
house," Sastro said.

Sixty-year-old Sunardi, a transmigrant, came from remote
Maluku to seek Abdurrahman's help over a dispute that he and
fellow resettlers had with a company in a transmigration site.

"Sunardi said he read about the open house in newspapers...
he has submitted complaints to the authorities but nothing had
been done," Sastro said.

Sunardi said he wanted to stay in Abdurrahman's house until
the matter reached President B.J. Habibie.

After much discussion, "we were able to talk some senses into
him, and he left saying over and over, 'you promise me... OK,
promise... or I'll be back'," Sastro recalled.

Foreign envoys, including those from the Holy See, the United
States and Germany, also visited Abdurrahman.

And, "there was this old woman who came and asked Abdurrahman
to cure her rheumatism," Sastro recalled. "She said she believed
Gus Dur would be able to free her from years of pain."

A group of farmers from a very poor area in Gunung Kidul in
Central Java came to express their alarm over the worsening food
situation. "There's nothing to eat now, not even cassava," the
farmers said.

Abdurrahman told them he was no healer, but that he would pray
for God's help for their troubles.

There were other questions that Abdurrahman faced in the 15-
day program, including "Where is this country headed to?", "Why
are there riots everywhere?", "Will we have enough food?", "Do
you like Pak Habibie?", "Do you trust (Armed Forces Commander
Gen.) Wiranto?", and "What will happen if you die and the mess in
this country is not yet solved?" (edt)