NU's 35th Congress Expected to Be Free from Interference
The representative of NU members and village Kiai, HRM Khalilur R Abdullah Sahlawiy, highlighted the dynamics ahead of the 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress, which has been heating up as several candidate names and political camps have emerged. He pointed to narratives about obtaining the rulers’ blessing or candidates’ closeness to state networks in the race for Rais Aam and the Chairman of PBNU. He described such narratives as a grave mistake that also wounds history.
“NU is not an organisation born from the womb of state power. On the contrary, this country was built thanks to the contributions of NU ulama. Therefore, it feels inappropriate for NU leaders to first obtain the blessing of rulers of a state whose country itself was founded with the help of NU kiais,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (20 May 2026).
Khalilur reminded us of the essence of Indonesia’s founding history. According to him, the moral legitimacy of kiais in villages through prayers and fatwas formed a solid foundation when the bureaucratic and military structures of Indonesia were not yet strong in the early days of independence.
The harmonious relationship between President Sukarno and Hadratus Syeikh KH Hasyim Asy’ari stands as a real example of how umara (state leaders) show high regard for ulama.
“What comes to the kiai is the president. It is not the kiai who comes to seek the president’s blessing. There, there is etiquette, there is historical awareness. There is respect that the ulama are not subordinates of power, but a source of the nation’s moral authority,” he said.
This historical role is also evidenced by the Resolusi Jihad of 22 October 1945, which mobilised Laskar Hizbullah and Sabilillah to defend independence. Khalilur said that after Indonesia became sovereign, the kiais returned to pesantren to nurture the people without being drawn into a contest for state power.
Given this record, Khalilur strongly protested signs of conditioning support, the use of bureaucratic networks, or involvement of state apparatus to steer future PBNU leadership. He warned that such actions are unethical for the organisation’s prestige.
Nevertheless, he believes that President Prabowo Subianto is a statesman who will respect NU’s independence by not interfering in the succession of its leadership. He also cited the words of Indonesia’s fourth President, KH Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), on the importance of keeping a safe distance from power.
“Gus Dur warned that religion should not be used as a tool to legitimise power. For when a religious organisation becomes too close to power, it gradually loses its critical voice and its moral authority,” Khalilur added.
He emphasised that the 35th NU Congress must be a test of the independence of Nahdliyin in charting their own course without external pressure.
“The NU Congress of the 35th is therefore not merely a forum to elect the Chairman and the Rais Aam. It is a major test of this organisation’s independence. What is at stake is the marwah (dignity) of NU as the nation’s moral force,” he concluded. (H-2)
HRM Khalilur R Abdullah Sahlawiy notes the emergence of several major camps ready to contest votes in the forum’s highest body.