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)