NU told to improve relations with govt, other groups
JAKARTA (JP): The newly re-elected chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Abdurrahman Wahid, has found himself bombarded with pleas to tone down his aberrancy and build better relations with the government and other organizations.
"NU has often been at odds with other Moslem organizations and has been walking alone for too long," Lukman Harun from the Muhammadiyah socio-educational organization, a long time Abdurrahman critic, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.
"It needs to change its attitude, views, and the way it relates to other organizations," he said. "But whether these changes will take place depends on its new leaders."
In the past, NU, the country's largest Moslem organization with more than 28 million members, has frequently taken different stands on varying religious matters. The most frequent squabble, for instance, concerns the determination of the beginning and end of the fasting month Ramadhan.
The same expectations have been voiced by various parties upon the election of Wahid to chair NU's executive board in its latest congress which ended Monday.
Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Feisal Tanjung asked the chairman to lead his followers in building unity and cohesion in the nation.
Minister of Security and Defense Gen. Edi Sudrajat, praising the "independent election" of Wahid, also asked that the organization contribute more to strengthen national unity.
K.H. Syansuri Badlawi, one of the most senior ulemas in the organization, told the news agency Antara that Wahid should build good relations between the organization and the government. Wahid should also correct several flaws in his leadership style, Syansuri said.
In his previous terms, Wahid had ignored advice from the Mustasyar, NU's advisory board. "He should change this attitude from now on," Syansuri said.
He also asked Wahid to include his "opponents", his own uncle Yusuf Hasyim, and former NU chairman Idham Chalid, in the advisory board. "NU needs respected figures like him (Yusuf)," he said.
Wahid, more popularly known as Gus Dur, is "smart and indeed the appropriate choice, but he's aberrant", he said.
Syansuri, also a legislator from the United Development Party (PPP) faction, suggested that Wahid include his election competitors in the executive board, which will be announced on Dec. 13. They were K.H. Wahid Zaini, Abu Hasan and Dr. Fahmi Syaefuddin.
In order to establish effective leadership, Wahid will need colleagues who are strong and brave enough to correct him, Syansuri said.
"What he doesn't need is a bunch of yes-men," he added.
Lukman criticized Abdurrahman's style of breezing through protests voiced by various parties over many of his moves. "In all this time, nobody has ever stood against him," he said. "His opinions were treated as if they were the voice of truth."
Some of the most criticized moves of Abdurrahman included his visit to, and subsequent suggestion that Indonesia establish diplomatic ties with, Israel.
He was also accused of turning a deaf ear to protests about his suggestion that Moslems replace the religious greeting Assalamu'alaikum (peace be upon you) with the secular "good morning" or "good afternoon".
Another NU legislator, Imam Churmen, expressed confidence that Wahid and leaders of the Syuriyah (NU law-making body), K.H. Ilyas Ruhiat and K.H. Sahal Mahfudz, will be able to work together to meet the organization's goals.
Wahid is perhaps the most controversial figure in Indonesian politics and now the most ardent critic of the government.
He founded the Forum for Democracy with other scholars in response to the establishment of the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals which he said was fawning sectarian politics in Indonesia. The forum has continued to criticize the government on various issues.
Besides expectations, Wahid also won praises from other parties with regards to his re-election. Feisal and R. Hartono, ABRI chief of social political affairs, acknowledged that he was the best choice for NU.
Leading politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), Sabam Sirait, said PDI, PPP and the ruling political grouping Golkar could learn from NU on democratic election.
The election, which analysts said was "democratic", "is a very important lesson on the efforts to uphold democracy in Indonesia," Sabam told Antara.
"PPP and PDI can also learn about how to deflect interfering forces from outside of the organization," he said. "In fact, this should be a lesson for ABRI and the government too." (swe)