NU forerunners pledge to keep body independent

NU forerunners pledge to keep body independent

KEDIRI, East Java (JP): The two top nominees to succeed
Abdurrahman Wahid as Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chief have both
asserted that the organization will remain critical and
independent of the government despite its outgoing leader's
election as president.

Said Aqiel Siradj and Hasyim Muzadi, who are quickly emerging
as the two hottest contenders for the top NU post, both warned
against complacency and stressed the need for the largest Muslim
organization to remain independent from the government and
political parties.

Said Aqiel Siradj, chairman of Nadhlatul Ulama (NU)'s legal
affairs department, said that even though Abdurrahman was now the
nation's top executive, NU must play a neutral and objective
role.

"NU will never become a political organization and it must be
consistent with its 1926 khitthah to stay out of practical
politics," he said, referring to the statute which forbids NU
from entering practical politics.

"Although the national leadership is from NU, the
socioreligious organization must maintain its distance from and
be critical of the government and political parties," he said
here on Saturday during a debate of NU's visions.

Abdurrahman will open the congress at Lirboyo Pondok Pesantren
(Lirboyo Islamic Boarding School) in Kediri on Sunday. One of the
primary items on the agenda of the gathering will be to elect a
replacement for Abdurrahman, who headed the organization since
1984.

Apart from Said and Hasyim, three other names have been touted
as possible candidates: Abdurrahman's younger brother Solahuddin
Wahid, NU deputy chairman Fadjroel Falakh and Central Java cleric
Mustofa Bisri.

However, as the 1,700 participating delegates began arriving
on Saturday it became apparent that Said and Hasyim were the
early favorites.

Said, who in 1994 attained a doctorate degree from the Ummul
Qura University in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is gaining strong support
from NU branches in West and Central Java.

"I have no ambition to lead NU, but I'm ready if the congress
participants vote for me," he said, noting that Abdurrahman had
also indicated his support.

Born in Cirebon, West Java, in 1953, the congress is a
homecoming for him as is an alumnus of Lirboyo Pondok Pesantren.

Hasyim Muzadi, on the other hand, claims the support of NU
branches in East Java.

"Similar to Said, I have no ambition for the post either. But
I will be ready for the top position in the organization if the
congress elects me," he remarked.

According to Said, the upcoming 30th congress should highlight
NU's commitment to upholding democracy, creating a strong civil
society, promoting harmony among different religious communities
and empowering small and middle-scale entrepreneurs.

He also stressed the need for NU to help forge a strong middle
class to strengthen democracy.

"NU is interested in establishing a strong middle class to
uphold democracy. We do not want to develop a society consisting
of poor people and conglomerate owners, as the past government
did," he said.

Hasyim who is chairman of NU's East Java provincial chapter,
lauded a new NU paradigm on religion-state relations based on "an
inclusive substantialism", instead of "exclusive formalism", to
avoid rivalry between religion and the government.

"In the past, religion, especially Islam, was frequently
abused to sow hatred against the government and to incite social
conflicts among people because religion-state relations were
based on exclusive formalism," he said.

According to Hasyim, NU and the government should act as
partners in carrying out their respective missions to serve the
people.

"NU and other religious organizations will never be
subordinate to the government and the political parties," Hasyim
remarked.

He conceded that many NU members were involved in numerous
political parties, but claimed that as an organization NU would
not favor any single party.

"Despite the existence of the National Awakening Party (PKB),
NU will treat all political parties, including the three closely
linked to the organization, all the same," he professed.

Despite the statute forbidding involvement in politics,
Abdurrahman cofounded PKB, with most of its support coming from
the NU faithful.

Three other smaller parties have also emerged from the NU
ranks: the Muslim Community Awakening Party (PKU), Nadhlatul
Ulama Party (PNU) and SUNI Party.

Many senior NU figures have expressed concern at the
proliferation of open political activities within NU ranks.

Amin Syukur, a lecturer at the State Academy of Islamic
Studies (IAIN) in Surabaya, said the organization should remain
faithful to its 1926 khitthah so it could maintain an equal
distance from all political parties.

"Once NU becomes a political organization it will be used by
the government as a tool to fight for its political interests and
defend the status quo," he warned.

Meanwhile in Semarang, Central Java, NU observer Abdurrahman
Masud urged NU's new leadership to emulate the success of
Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim organization in the
country, in its educational development of members.

He lamented that NU had focused too much on religious
instruction at pesantren while Muhammadiyah concentrated on
formal education.

"It's no surprise then that Muhammadiyah has so many members
with master's or doctorate degrees while NU has many pesantren
graduates," Masud remarked. (nur/rms/har)