NasDem Visits Graves of NU Founder and Former President During Ramadan Safari in Jombang

The NasDem Party’s central executive board conducted a Ramadan safari at Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School in Jombang on Thursday, with one of its key agendas being a visit to the graves of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) founder KH Hasyim Asy’ari and Indonesia’s fourth president KH Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur).

The NasDem delegation arrived at Tebuireng Pesantren at approximately 11.30 am. The Ramadan safari at the boarding school, which was founded by KH Hasyim Asy’ari, was directly led by NasDem Party Vice Chairman Saan Mustopa.

Upon arrival, Saan and his delegation were welcomed by the pesantren’s caretaker, KH Abdul Hakim Mahfudz (Gus Kikin), at the main residence. Following a dialogue, the delegation proceeded to the mausoleum to pay their respects. Saan and Gus Kikin sat in front of KH Hasyim Asy’ari’s grave, the NU founder, and were observed participating devotedly in the recitation of tahlil (Islamic prayers for the deceased). Afterwards, Saan and several NasDem executive board members performed flower-laying ceremonies at both graves, including that of Gus Dur.

“This is an honour for the NasDem Party to be able to visit Tebuireng Pesantren. This visit is particularly important during Ramadan. We are honouring the memory of both Mbah Hasyim and Gus Dur through this pilgrimage,” Saan told journalists after the visit.

According to Saan, the visit to the graves of KH Hasyim Asy’ari and Gus Dur represents the NasDem Party’s tribute to these two National Heroes who have contributed significantly to Indonesia’s national struggle.

“Mbah Hasyim was not merely a figure in the independence movement, but a national figure whose remarkable ideas shaped and mobilised the various components of the nation in the context of independence. Our tribute takes the form of visiting Mbah Hasyim’s grave,” he stated.

Additionally, Saan urged all party members to emulate Gus Dur’s philosophy. According to him, Gus Dur’s pluralist thinking should be studied and applied to maintain national unity and state integrity.

“Gus Dur’s pluralist thinking is truly remarkable. This is crucial in our national and state life. Gus Dur demonstrated how to bring together various forces when there are frictions,” Saan said.

Meanwhile, Gus Kikin expressed gratitude for the NasDem Party executive board’s visit to Tebuireng Pesantren. He stated that such interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue is important for fostering harmonious relationships among different groups.

“Thank you for visiting and paying respects at the graves. We need such an atmosphere of closeness and camaraderie as we build our nation and state together. This is something we must emphasise,” he concluded.