Abu Hasan told to apologize to Ilyas Ruchiyat

Abu Hasan told to apologize to Ilyas Ruchiyat

JAKARTA (JP): Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Chairman Abdurrahman Wahid
has sought to play down his rift with Abu Hasan, who is
challenging his leadership, saying that their differences reflect
the democratic spirit in the Moslem organization.

Abdurrahman gave assurances that he would not punish Abu Hasan
or expel him from the organization for the formation of a rival
board, Kompas daily newspaper reported yesterday.

"He is entitled to his own opinion and has every right to feel
discontented because he did not get what he wanted. But we have
to tolerate that," Abdurrahman said during a meeting with the
alumni of the As Syafiyah Islam University in Jakarta on
Saturday.

But Gus Dur, as Abdurrahman is popularly known, ruled out
giving in to demands that Abu Hasan be included in his board.

"That's entirely a different issue. The seats in the executive
board are distributed in accordance with the organization's
regulations laid down by Rois Aam (the head of the policy making
body). And his decision is final, we have to obey," he said.

Gus Dur also denied that he had influenced Ilyas Ruchiyat, the
Rois Aam, in excluding Abu Hasan from the board. "He is a
respected figure with hundreds of thousands of students. I am
nothing compared with him," he said.

Abu Hasan lost in his bid to unseat Abdurrahman at NU's
congress in Cipasung, West Java, last month.

Having earlier conceded the election race, Abu Hasan later
turned against Abdurrahman when he found out that he had been
excluded from the board. He accused Abdurrahman of rigging the
election and demanded that a new emergency congress be held to
elect the NU chairman again. In the mean time, he has also
established his own version of the NU executive board, with
himself as its chairman.

Democracy

Abdurrahman, who had earlier managed to duck reporters seeking
comment on Abu Hasan's actions, on Saturday described the recent
events as a reflection of democracy within the organization.

"The organization remains intact, nothing has changed," he
said. "I have nothing to hide. In fact, it is my duty to see that
there are no reprisals. Those who have different views have
remained within the organization."

Criticism of Abu Hasan was voiced, however, by a senior NU
ulema in East Java who said that the dissenter owed Ilyas
Ruchiyat an apology for challenging his leadership.

Hasyim Muzadi, chairman of NU's executive board in East Java,
said Abu Hasan had to put a halt to his actions and disband his
rival executive board.

"Establishing a rival board which is structured exactly like
the present NU board is fomenting conflict. He could be condemned
by God for this," said Hasyim, as quoted by the Antara news
agency.

He set a two-week deadline for Abu Hasan to come up with an
apology. Should the deadline not be met, East Java would move a
motion that he be expelled from NU.

Hasyim did not see any possibility of reconciliation between
Gus Dur and Abu Hasan. "What Abu Hasan did was not simply a
mistake. It was anarchy." (pwn)