Flying Dutch trip to NU 'pesantren'

SURABAYA: Local Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) leaders have agreed to meet with a delegation of Dutch church leaders interested in the socio-educational organization's Islamic boarding schools.

Hasyim Muzadi, chairman of the East Java NU chapter, said yesterday he would meet with the Dutch delegation on Feb. 1 at his well-known pesantren (boarding school) Al-Hikam in Malang.

The meeting was arranged by the Gereja Kristen Jawi Wetan (East Java Christian Church), whose officials discussed the plan with NU leaders last week.

Hasyim said he did not know exactly what the NU and the church leaders would discuss but he expected it would be the relationship between the 30-million strong organization and the church.

"Maybe they can contribute ideas on how to improve relations so that events, such as the recent social unrest, will not happen again" he said as quoted by Antara.

A religiously-motivated riot broke out in the East Java town of Situbondo and its surrounding areas last October in which 25 churches were set ablaze or damaged.

The Pesantren Al-Hikam is popular with American and European academics doing research on Islam in Indonesia. (pan)