Watching NU's steps

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.