NU, Muhammadiyah becoming victims of fighting elephants

NU, Muhammadiyah becoming victims of fighting elephants

An asset of civil society, the 30-million strong Nahdlatul Ulama,
is under threat in the current conflict, researcher and executive
of Nahdlatul Ulama Ulil Abshar Abdalla told The Jakarta Post.

Question: On Friday President Abdurrahman, or Gus Dur, appealed
for patience and questioned the legality of the legislature's
special committee looking into alleged scandals; Megawati said
the violence in the rallies were unacceptable. Your comment?
Answer: Basically violence must be rejected but it is difficult
if one does not see the context. We can criticize the commoners
(involved in the rallies) but this doesn't tell the whole truth.

My impression is that people in Jakarta, who have not come
into contact with the masses themselves and do not know how they
feel, easily blame those who cannot channel their restlessness to
the media, which is largely controlled by those regarded as Gus
Dur's enemies.

They have become victims, and are further victimized.

The people who make them angry seem to have become clean ...
it is the status quo which will benefit from all this.
When Gus Dur became President the NU kyai finally supported him,
but stated that since then Gus Dur no longer only belonged to NU
but to the nation ...

The kyai have always been rational and have been able to keep
their distance, but every day people hear things that redden
their ears on television and radio. When they complain to
television with accompanying disturbances they are again scolded
so it's like their voices are never heard.

I've just come back from Central Java where one can feel it's
so easy for those in the towns to talk ...
What is their restlessness that you feel?

It's simple; they love Gus Dur, emotionally they cannot let go
of him as their leader, even though he is President, yet they
hear words that hurt their feelings; not to mention some
preachers who spread hatred against Gus Dur ...

But such things are not mentioned in the media; I think this
victimization (of NU members) has gone too far.
Has Gus Dur used this support excessively?

Not directly but people would move anyway even without orders.
That question must also be directed the other way: are those who
hate Gus Dur also using masses?

NU masses poured out after others were mobilized to make Gus
Dur fall (from the presidency). But others, coming in nicer
transportation and apparently more articulate, are considered
more civilized, while those who are pro Gus Dur look like a
rabble.

Aren't these NU members also supporters of Megawati?

Yes, the masses of NU and the Indonesian Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) were together in East Java (in the campaigns for
the 1999 election). They are both groups of "little people"
irritated by what they see on television.

They would surely be confused (by the different cues of Gus
Dur and Megawati regarding the rallies); this is the case of the
mouse deer being trampled by the fighting elephants.
What can Megawati and Gus Dur do now?

The question is really what can all the elite do. It's the
action of a few members of the political elite which has led to
wide consequences. The problem is more than a memorandum, more
than making Gus Dur quit ... The political atmosphere has turned
so rotten that people have lost their common sense.
The Democratic People's Party (PRD) has been accused of
instigating the violence. Do you believe this?

This (accusing PRD) is a dangerous tactic. It's like the NU is
again steered towards hating the "communists" (of which PRD has
been accused). It was the NU people who were made to kill
communists in the past ... This is typical New Order strategy;
the words of (Golkar chairman) Akbar Tandjung (accusing PRD)
reflects the remains of New Order mentality.
NU has stepped further and further away from its roots of being a
non political organization. How do you see NU in this condition?

I'm worried that the political conflict will lead to the
destruction of this element of civil society. Political parties
can be set up in a day, membership cards are easy to issue.

But building a mass organization takes a long time. This is an
asset which could be destroyed because of political infighting.
I'm very sad of the spill over of political conflict into this
civilian organization.

I'm worried if NU people who are angry, get further incensed
by townspeople scolding them, and feel they will lose everything
if Gus Dur falls from the presidency. Then they will lose Gus
Dur, lose NU, lose face ...
How do you see the potential of conflict with the other large
mass organization, the Muhammadiyah?

It has happened already; those elements of civil society which
are important for pluralism are all affected.
Would you prefer going through with the formal process which
could lead to impeachment?

It doesn't matter anymore, what is four months, five months;
Gus Dur will be impeached anyway regardless of whether he
responds to the memorandum or not. Megawati would then become
President and would also then be toppled.

We'll repeat the experience of the 1950s, and then the
military would come into power again.

Without a moratorium on political organizations restraining
themselves things will be difficult; the atmosphere is now
poisonous, leading to anger and hate. This will benefit the
military.
Aren't there enough alliances of civilian groups nowadays to fend
off such a possibility?

They are still midgets -- only recently gaining freedom and
already displaying extraordinary greed. This applies to both Gus
Dur's enemies and his supporters. They're all dancing up and down
on a stage where planks have just been set in place, and suddenly
a truck with a great burden runs over it.
Hasn't Gus Dur also had a role in contributing to all this?

He clearly has, just like the others ... we're all in the
wrong; It's a zero sum game.
You sound sure that the kyai really tried to restrain the masses.
Some think the rallies were quite orderly given that the major
targets were Golkar offices.

I know they really tried but this anti-Golkar movement will
not be very big, there are not enough funds ... Demands to
dissolve Golkar were rhetoric from the beginning and is easier
said than done.

From South Africa the good lesson to be drawn is that the old
forces, (in this case) Golkar, was the ones which for years had
the resources. If we were to destroy everything we would have to
start from zero.

This is what Gus Dur has been saying, it's not a black and
white issue, or we would be entirely totalitarian ...

We should learn to differentiate the good and the bad in
Golkar. Even in Germany where the Nazis killed thousands, the
party inheriting (its elements) has representation in the
legislature, this is astonishing.

What's happening now is revenge towards Golkar. In (the run-up
to elections in) 1971, 1977, Golkar's actions towards NU people
were outstanding in its forcing of people (to vote for Golkar).

So Akbar's statement of blaming people of anarchy may sound
beautiful now but this is without regard to history.

Coercion was most notable in the NU stronghold in East Java,
many old kyai also experienced intense repression. But at that
time, no one in NU could blame Golkar of anarchy.

But basically, again, violence should be rejected. (anr)