Watching NU's steps

Perhaps none of the watchers of the ongoing congress of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) at Lirboyo village, near the East Java town of Kediri, have expected any surprise moves or statements from the five-yearly meeting. Nor have they expected an emergence of a figure of Abdurrahman Wahid's caliber to take over the organization's leadership, which he left this week.

NU is an organization of traditional Muslim theologians, who run hundreds of pesantren (traditional Islamic boarding schools) scattered around Java -- mainly in the eastern province. Since its establishment in 1926 it has been known for its paternalistic style and aloofness to modern thoughts.

That is why people look at Abdurrahman, who has led the organization for the last 15 years, like a creature from outer space who has come to a strange earth. With a sufficient Islamic educational background, which he pursued in Cairo and Baghdad, Abdurrahman, who is also known as Gus Dur, is an outspoken democrat who knows how play a political game under a despotic regime. He has not only made his educational organization stronger and more popular but has also placed himself in Merdeka Palace.

During his leadership of NU, he introduced the policy of openness and tolerance toward the followers of other creeds and made impressive efforts to boost the welfare of its members.

However, the NU he has left seems to be having some difficulty following in his footsteps. None of those nominated for the chairmanship look fit to fill his shoes, although some of them are more intellectually dexterous than his predecessors.

And the general picture of the meetings at Lirboyo is one which lacks intellectual dynamics. There are no new concepts to boost the role of the organization, which claims to have 35 million members, to face the waves of ensuing modernization. Comments it made on national problems are mere repetitions of previous statements made by other organizations.

The East Java congress has also shown that the organization has not freed itself from the desire to enjoy the forbidden fruit of politics, one it vowed to turn its back on in 1984. Then, in a similar congress in Situbondo, East Java, NU declared once and for all it would shun politics and return to what it called its khittah (basic and original principles) of 1926. Immediately afterward it severed ties with the United Development Party (PPP), the political grouping it had jointly established in 1973.

Many people believed that this time the organization was consistent in its maneuverings. They were wrong. Last year, some NU leaders -- particularly Abdurrahman -- helped set up the National Awakening Party (PKB). NU, an educational organization has failed to educate itself in this case. And the present congress seems to be confused over how to keep NU from political activities.

That will not be too difficult if NU is willing to open the history books, which recorded NU's decision in 1952 to quit Masyumi, the biggest Muslim political party then, in favor of standing alone. NU was frustrated by Masyumi party leaders, which consisted of western-educated intellectuals, and who gave it too little share in the government. When NU severed ties with the PPP in 1984, the same reason was heard. It had been marginalized by the then PPP leaders.

NU's educational role today is too big to treat as a less important duty. The only way to accomplish the mission is by turning its back on political lure.