NU's good name in jeopardy, scholar warns
NU's good name in jeopardy, scholar warns
JAKARTA (JP): An influential Moslem leader warned yesterday
that the ulemas who want to hold a political gathering later this
month are putting the reputation of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) in
jeopardy.
Yusuf Hasyim, who heads NU's law-making body, said the
gathering would amount to an embarrassing inconsistency with the
organization's commitment to avoid politics.
"I don't mind the meeting so long as they (ulemas) don't use
NU as an umbrella. Have confidence and act on your own risk," he
said.
Yusuf's statement came only a day after a group of NU ulemas
announced they would go ahead with the controversial gathering
after they secured more support from the Armed Forces (ABRI).
The meeting, slated for June 26 in the Central Java city of
Rembang, reflects the division within Indonesia's largest Moslem
organization, between those who want a return to politics or at
least to exercise some political influence, and those who want
the organization to be completely apolitical.
An estimated 75 ulemas plan to attend the meeting to discuss
the future of the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP),
whose position as the second largest political organization is
threatened by the progressive Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).
Formerly a strong political party, NU retreated from formal
politics in 1984 but does not forbid its members from joining
political parties.
The Rembang meeting controversy was part of the internal
bickering within the PPP which will choose new leadership during
its forthcoming August congress.
NU, the largest of the four organizations within the PPP,
wants to ensure that the next party chairman comes from their
ranks.
Hailing from Jombang, one of Indonesia's Moslem strongholds in
East Java, Yusuf is understood to desire the PPP chairmanship.
He argued that the Rembang gathering will endanger NU's pledge
to remain a socio-education organization and stays away from
formal politics.
"They should go to Rembang in their capacity as members of
PPP," said the ulema who runs the respected Islamic boarding
school, Tebuireng, in Jombang.
In support of Yusuf's objection to the gathering, the West
Java chapter of NU announced yesterday it would boycott the
meeting, saying that it meant to uphold the organization's formal
commitment to stay away from politics.
"This decision is taken for our own good," the West Java
chapter chairman Dudung Abdul Halim was quoted by Antara as
saying.
He added any local ulemas wanting to attend the meeting should
not claim to represent NU otherwise they may strain their
relations with the organization. (pan)