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)