Nahdlatul Ulama and 'dayah' in Aceh
Nahdlatul Ulama and 'dayah' in Aceh
The grass roots of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest
Muslim organization, is found in Islamic boarding schools, known
as pesantren in Java or dayah in Aceh.
Thus, in the wake of the Dec. 26 tsunami, the NU chose the
dayah in Aceh as the base of its humanitarian operation in the
region.
The partnership with dayah has facilitated much of the NU's
humanitarian work in Aceh. Moreover, a good number of dayah
leaders are also executives of local NU branches.
In addition, the NU is aware of the strategic position of
dayah in Aceh, chiefly following the application of Islamic law
or syariah in the region.
Dayah, according to the NU, could contribute a lot to the
upholding of syariah in Aceh due to their comprehensive
understanding of syariah.
Even so, the NU central board has observed that the strategic
position of dayah in Aceh has been largely overlooked by the
government and foreign donors.
This is conspicuous in the government's master plan for Aceh's
reconstruction, which effectively excludes dayah from the
process. The situation has been worsened by foreign donors
disinterest in supporting dayah.
Nevertheless, this has in no way discouraged the NU from
working with dayah and empowering them to rebuild Aceh.
Luckily, the NU continues to enjoy support for its endeavors
from a number of quarters, including from the Islamic Help of the
United Kingdom.
With their endorsement, the NU has been able to implement four
major programs in Aceh. The first program lies in the education
sector, including rebuilding and providing facilities and
infrastructure as well as scholarships.
The second is in the health sector, including providing health
services for tsunami survivors; the third is to empower survivors
economically; and the fourth is concerned with reconstruction
programs for survivors outside dayah.
With the passage of time, the NU's relief operation in Aceh
has shifted according to field requirements, from corpse
evacuation by its volunteers to providing health services and now
moving to education and reconstruction programs.
The program for children's education is now one of the NU's
top priorities in Aceh in an effort to improve the prospects of
the Acehnese people.
On these grounds, scholarships are being provided through a
program that has the support of overseas donors, including
Islamic Help.
With the aim of applying a transparent and accountable
management system, the NU team is being assisted by a group of
auditors that oversee its financial management and performance.
The transparency and accountability of aid fund management
tops the agenda of NU executives, to ensure that funds are
channeled to the rightful beneficiaries and donors' trust is
maintained.
Besides the aid for tsunami survivors in Aceh, the NU has
mobilized aid and support for displaced people in Nias, North
Sumatra. However, the NU's financial limitations have prevented
it from helping Nias' displaced people on the scale that it would
like to.
In fact, many other natural disaster victims outside Aceh and
Nias have requested the NU's assistance, such as those in Java
and several other regions.
Under such circumstances, the NU is always open to receive all
kinds of aid for further distribution to Indonesian people in
disaster-stricken areas.