Gus Dur wonders why so much fuss over Israel visit
SEMARANG, Central Java (JP): The chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Moslem organization, Abdurrahman Wahid, stressed here yesterday that there is no reason to prevent him from visiting Israel.
He expressed confusion as to why certain parties in Indonesia deplored his recent visit to that country.
His visit late last month together with two other Moslem scholars, Djohan Effendy and Habib Chirzin, incited both criticism and praise from various parties.
"I don't know why they deplored this. I went to Israel just to attend a seminar and not a single person has the right to stop someone from attending a seminar," he said.
He explained that his visit had nothing to do with politics. "I just fulfilled an invitation to take part in a seminar in that country," he said.
He added that the seminar discussed how the Moslems and Jews responded to contemporary challenges against modernization and to the search for self-identification and community lives.
The application of religious teachings, especially ties between religions and states, was also discussed, he said.
Gus Dur denied reports saying that he proposed the opening of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Israel. "I just said that we are now beginning to think about anticipating possible diplomatic ties between the two countries. So the possibility will emerge by itself," he said.
"I just say why don't we try to think about it now. How to make it smooth," he said, adding that the betterment of relations between Arab countries and Israel is just a matter of time.
"If Yasser Arafat has signed an agreement with Yitzhak Rabin, King Hussein of Jordan has also done the same thing and others will likely follow suit, what will we do now?" he asked.
If those related parties have said that they have stopped warring with Israel, it is no longer practical for us in Indonesia to talk about Israel again and again, he said.
Therefore it is already time for Indonesia to think about how to anticipate the possibility of diplomatic ties with Israel, he added.
Re-election
Gus Dur was quoted by the Kompas daily as saying on Monday that he is ready to be re-elected to the leadership of the NU organization.
Gus Dur told reporters on Monday that he is ready to keep the NU chairmanship as long as a NU provincial branch nominates him.
The new chairman of NU will be elected during the organization's next congress, which will be held in the West Java town of Tasikmalaya in December. The congress will also elect new members of its executive board.
Mathori Abdul Jalil, the former secretary-general of the United Development Party, said yesterday in Semarang that Gus Dur's recent visit to Israel will not affect his chances of keeping the chairmanship of NU.
"Gus Dur would do nothing, neither by statements nor actions, to harm this country or NU. His visit was based on Indonesia's foreign policy of a free and active stance," Mathori was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.
Mathori also said that the visit should not be interpreted as Gus Dur's move to enter the national political arena, but should be seen as his effort to maintain the orderliness in the world, an idea which is also stipulated in the 1945 Constitution. (har/mas/hhr)