NU remains neutral in political tension
NU remains neutral in political tension
SURABAYA (JP): Abdurrahman Wahid said yesterday his
30-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) will remain neutral in the
current political tension.
NU is not interested in following in the footsteps of numerous
organizations that have massed and pledged allegiance to the
government for some political goal, he said.
Abdurrahman, better-known as Gus Dur, said after attending a
seminar that many organizations have been following the trend,
with one aping the other.
"They tend to be copycats. From way back, they have always
been Pak Turut (imitators). It is best for NU to just keep
quiet," he told The Jakarta Post.
Various groups, mostly those well-connected to the
bureaucracy, have been queuing to present statements of support
for the government and the Armed Forces in handling the unrest
that followed the forceful takeover of the Indonesian Democratic
Party headquarters.
The government has blamed a tiny student movement called the
Democratic People's Party (PRD) and its affiliates for inciting
the riots.
On Sunday, thousands of activists held a rally in Jakarta in a
show of support for the government, demanding that the PRD be
dissolved.
Abdurrahman said that NU was concerned with the riots that
occurred last month, but did not believe that such declarations
would in any way allay the situation.
He underlined that NU would not issue a statement in support
of the government or those who were against it.
"Such statements would not help solve the crisis legally. On
the contrary, such statements would only serve to confuse matters
further," Abdurrahman said.
When pressed on the fact that certain NU members had issued a
statement of their own, Abdurrahman replied that each member is
free to do so in their personal capacity.
"They're welcomed to do so. NU won't press sanctions against
them. It's their personal business. However, the political risks
should also be shouldered by them," he said.
He warned against the trend of using religion to seek
justification for political activities.
"Don't connect every act with a religious justification. We'd
be going backwards then ... We won't progress that way. It would
be a setback," he said, affirming that there was no obligation
for Islamic organizations to make such political statements.
Abdurrahman further refuted suggestions that he or NU had
connections with the PRD, as insinuated by certain officials.
"That's just a game of those in power accusing people as they
like," he charged.(15/mds)