NU says no to call for jihad to defend Gus Dur

NU says no to call for jihad to defend Gus Dur

CILEGON, Banten (JP): Leading Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) figures
strongly repudiated on Friday the use of violence or calls for a
jihad to defend President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.

NU executives at the start of a three-day plenary meeting here
also asserted that NU members should not mass in Jakarta if their
only intention is to engage in anarchic behavior.

"It is quite clear that NU has never given any instruction to
its member to initiate a jihad," NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi told
journalists after the opening of the meeting.

"To promote democratic processes, we must avoid such
activities," he said, while insisting that Abdurrahman's
supporters should go to Jakarta only if they truly wish to
express their aspirations peacefully.

Similarly, NU deputy chairman Solahuddin Wahid said
"conducting a jihad to defend Gus Dur would only impact
negatively on the NU".

Solahuddin further decried the exploitation of religious
symbols, when the essence of Islamic religion promotes peace and
non-violence.

The call for non-violence is expected to be included as part
of recommendations issued at the conclusion of the annual meeting
on Sunday. The recommendations will then be presented to
Abdurrahman, who chaired NU for 15-years before becoming
president in 1999.

About 140 NU figures from the organization's executive,
advisory body, syuriah (law making body), and kyai (religious
leaders), are currently gathered in the small town.

Among those attending are NU's advisory body chairman Iljas
Ruchiyat, syuriah chairman Sahal Mahfudz and NU's youth wing
organization, Ansor, chief Syaifullah Yusuf.

The meeting has arrived at a time of severe political
bickering, amplified by an accumulation of political maneuvers
instigated to unseat the President.

While not officially sanctioned by NU, community figures in
East Java have garnered support for a possible holy war to defend
the President, who looks certain to face a second memorandum of
censure from legislators in the coming weeks.

Abdurrahman's supporters have threatened to assemble an army
of martyrs ready to die for the former NU chief if his presidency
is further threatened.

There have been reports forecasting that the President's
supporters will assemble in the capital before the House of
Representatives is scheduled to meet at the end of this month.

Hasyim played down suggestions that the meeting was merely
concentrating on the issue of a jihad, stressing that it would
focus on the "macro politics" and not the "micro politics". He
did not elaborate any further.

Despite renouncing the arbitrary use of violence, he also
threw a hint of caution at opponents of Abdurrahman, saying that
the use of political force would invite violence to the futility
of calls for peace.

Solahuddin also added that political elites "must think twice
before they materialize their desire to topple Gus Dur, since it
would cost the nation much".

"Efforts to replace him with Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri will also only result in cornering Mega, who so far
has a good relationship with Gus Dur," Solahuddin added.

Separately, in Yogyakarta on Friday, Minister of Defense
Mahfud MD urged that Abdurrahman supporters cancel plans of
assembling in Jakarta.

"Leave the matter to the mechanisms of the House of
Representatives," he remarked.

Mahfud, however, conceded that there was no law prohibiting
them from entering Jakarta. If they continue to do so as planned,
Mahfud suggested that each group appoint a coordinator to be held
accountable for any disorder created.(02/44)