Nurcholish defends Gus Dur from critics

Nurcholish defends Gus Dur from critics

SEMARANG (JP): Noted scholar Nurcholish Madjid called on
"those who doesn't understand" Nahdlatul Ulama not to meddle in
NU affairs, much less ask chairman Abdurrahman Wahid to resign
from Indonesia's largest Moslem organization.

Abdurrahman, better known here as Gus Dur, is still needed to
bond the 70-year-old organization together. His role is to bridge
differences between modernists and traditional elements in the
organization, Nurcholish said.

"Gus Dur is still relevant," said Nurcholish, a leading member
of the influential Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals
(ICMI), which is chaired by State Minister for Research and
Technology B.J. Habibie.

The latter has recently confirmed that he once asked Gus Dur
to step down from his post, believing it would solve leadership
conflicts in the 30-million strong organization.

"That's Habibie's point of view," Nurcholish told The Jakarta
Post here on Tuesday. "Gus Dur and I have many differences, but I
still disagree with Habibie".

Furthermore, "Habibie's request is of no consequence. It
hasn't even made any impression on the public," he said.

"Despite the attacks from various corners, some of which
appeared to have been supported by the political superstructure,
I still think they are not consequential."

"Those attacks were no more than a mere ripple in the river,"
he said.

Abdurrahman is one of the staunchest critics of ICMI. He has
made his stance known from the inception of the association which
has since become very close to the power holders. He had
rejected Habibie's request, citing that it was not what President
Soeharto would have wanted.

Nurcholish described Abdurrahman as a reformist, a person who
breaks new ground in many social fields in ways which are
unconventional, but with good intentions. "We should try to be
tolerant of his ways," Nurcholish said. "His role is to prevent
clashes from erupting among the different elements in his
organization."

Nurcholish denied speculation that Habibie's request was made
out of fear of the growing influence of Abdurrahman and NU. "ICMI
is not trying to prevent NU from growing bigger," he said.

The NU has for the past year been embroiled in an internal
rift. Abu Hasan, who lost the 1994 chairmanship election to
Abdurrahman, recently held an extraordinary congress and set up a
rival board.

Abu is said to be backed by some elements in the political
elite, whereas Abdurrahman is also leader of the Forum Demokrasi,
a loose group of the government's staunchest critics.

Nurcholish explained that Indonesian Moslems are currently
developing and experiencing "vertical mobility" with more of
their educated members occupying strategic positions in the
administration. This process will continue in the next two
decades, and affect NU members as well, he said.

"The process, however, entails upheavals within the
organization, like the conflict between Gus Dur and Abu Hasan,"
he said.

The conflicts are evidence of a growing nation. "They are
signs of a nation entering 'puberty'," he said. "They will be
resolved by the year 2020 (when the nation matures)."

"Gus Dur and Abu Hasan should reconcile by making
concessions...it's a symptom of a growing democracy," he said,
echoing the calls which have been made by many other people
before.

K.H. Imron Hamzah, the chairman of the law-making body in East
Java chapter of NU, however, said Abu Hasan and other members
involved in the establishment of a rival board have committed
bughot (treason).

"It's a sin," he was quoted by Antara as saying on Monday.
(har/swe)