NU must reinstate mission at next congress: Hasyim
JAKARTA (JP): An influential Nadhlatul Ulama (NU) figure urged on Monday that the NU reinstate its mission during its next congress to enable the largest Muslim organization to contribute to the country's development.
"It is a new era for NU to go to the front row and fight for new values in state-religion relations and to design a new strategy to develop future religious harmony," said NU east Java chapter chairman Hasyim Muzadi.
Hasyim said NU would maintain its commitment to keep out of practical politics, while at the same time continue its role in creating a conducive climate for the growth of democracy in the country.
"At the next congress, NU will reconfirm its 1926 khittah (pledge) that it will never be involved in politics, but focus itself on socioeconomic issues. NU will never become a political organization," he said.
He said four political parties claiming to represent NU interests -- the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Nadhlatul Ummat Party (PNU), the Muslim Community Awakening Party (PKU) and the Suni Party -- were not established by the NU but by NU cadres.
Hasyim said NU would promote so-called substantial-inclusive relations between religions and the state to prevent the government from meddling with the different religion's internal affairs and to encourage harmony among religious communities.
"And NU will also fight against the abuse of religions for political interests."
He said that at the next congress, NU would also design programs to promote the supremacy of the law and help the government develop the people-oriented economy.
Hasyim is one of four leading candidates for the organization's top post to be vacated by chairman Abdurrahman Wahid, who was recently elected Indonesia's new President.
Hasyim refused to speculate on his chances of taking on the NU chairmanship, but he said he was ready to lead the 35 million- strong organization and was committed to carrying out all programs determined by the congress.
In Semarang, with only five days until the congress, NU's Central Java chapter officially nominated Sahal Mahfudz for chairmanship of the Syuriah law-making body.
"All provincial branches have unanimously supported Sahal Mahfudz's nomination," NU Central Java chairman Mohammad Adnan said.
Sahal Mahfudz is an uncle to Abdurrahman.
Adnan said that in regard to the NU chairmanship post, Central Java would leave the decision to the congress. He added that the Syuriah needed empowering so that it could implement its policy more effectively.
Abdurrahman is scheduled to open on Nov. 21 the week-long NU congress at the Lirboyo Islamic boarding school in Kediri, East Java. He will open the congress in his capacity as President.
The NU chapter in Yogyakarta also nominated on Monday Sahal to the top Syuriah post, but had not yet decided on a candidate for the executive chairman post.
The chapter also set several agenda for the congress, including a drive for equal rights for men and women to hold various top NU posts.
"For us, the women leadership issue is crucial. We want to fight so that women can hold a structural position on the executive board," Yogyakarta NU secretary Nuruddin Amin said.
NU houses three autonomous bodies for women, namely Muslimat NU (for housewives), Fatayat NU (for post-high school women) and NU Female Student or IPPNU. "But they're never given a chance to fill the top position in the organization," Nuruddin said.
The chapter will also push NU members to focus on the need for strict adherence of the organization's 1926 khittoh by separating itself from the National Awakening Party (PKB), the party founded last year by Abdurrahman.
"It is imperative for the NU and the PKB to be structurally separated, even though informally the NU has a moral obligation to advise the PKB," Nuruddin said.
The chapter suggested the formation of a Majelis Hikmah (Deliberation Board) within NU to serve as a political study center which could later contribute views to the PKB. (44/har/edt/rms)