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)