Saturday, January 16, 2010

Farewell Gus Dur


Saturday January 16, 2010
Farewell Gus Dur
THINK ASIAN
By ANDREW SHENG



ON Dec 31, 2009, as we bade farewell to 2009, the news broke of the passing of Adburrahman Wahid, former president of Indonesia, more popularly known as Gus Dur. My wife and I were in Macassar, the capital of Sulawesi and watched the outpouring of affection and respect for the man who succeeded Presidents Habibie and Suharto at the end of the Suharto era.

We cannot understand Asian thinking without appreciating the passing of this Asian giant.

Gus Dur was only President for less than two years from Oct 20, 1999 to July 23, 2001, having been forced to cede powers to his vice-president, Megawati Soekarnoputri.

During this short but critical period when Indonesia was still suffering from the Asian financial crisis, Gus Dur gave Indonesia the political space necessary to consolidate its transition from an authoritarian regime to one of the most vibrant democracies in Asia.

Indonesia must be one of the most difficult countries in the world to govern, with 240 million people, the fourth largest country in the world in terms of population. With 17,000 islands straddling 5,000 km from east to west, the country is also the largest maritime country in the world, because its geographical coverage is one fifth larger than the United States.

Despite having the largest Muslim population in the world, the country is constitutionally secular, because it is also one of the most culturally diverse, having two hundred different spoken dialect and speech groups.

It is perhaps that Indonesia is so culturally and economically diverse that world-class art, design, literature and new thinking is being created. You only have to visit Bali to find artists of every country trying to find their own inspirations from this melting pot of cultures.

From the early ages, the Moluccas, for example, were the battleground for the Spice trade, in which Portuguese, Dutch, English, Arab, Chinese, Indian and local traders were already competing to bring these valuable condiments to the rest of the world. These economic intrusions left their indelible cultural imprints on Indonesian civilisation.

Gus Dur came to political power from a religious background. He was born into a family of impeccable religious credentials in Jombang, East Java. His grandfather founded the Muslim movement Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest religious organisation in Indonesia with 40 million members and his father was the first Indonesian Minister for Religious Affairs after independence.

He started early by being a teacher in a religious school (Madrasah) in his home town. In 1970, he received a scholarship to study at the University of Al-Azhar in Cairo, but never finished there. Instead, he moved to Baghdad University to complete his higher education.

In 1972, he returned to become a teacher at the University Hasyim Asyhari in his home town, as well as being a journalist and writer. From his direct contact with the Muslim community, he immersed himself in the development of the Muslim religious school movement (Pesantren), rising eventually to become a key leader of Nahdlatul Ulama.

In the 1980s, he came into political prominence because he participated actively in formulating the Pancasila philosophical foundation for Indonesia, namely, Belief in the one and only God, just and civilised humanity, the unity of Indonesia, democracy and social justice.

In 1998, even though he suffered a stroke that partially blinded him, he formed part of the reform movement that contested the 1999 presidential elections. He stood against Megawati and won, and then persuaded Megawati to stand as vice-president for the sake of national unity.

Although by his own admission he was not a great administrator, he made several key decisions that held Indonesia together during the tumultuous period after the Suharto regime. Significantly, he opened up the press, removed restrictions on use of the Chinese language and opened the way for reconciliation in the regional tensions with Irian Jaya (now West Papua) and Aceh.

What struck most people who have met Gus Dur was his humanity and open-mindedness to all issues and social problems. He was reputed to have said that he was less disappointed with the loss of his presidency than the loss of his recordings of Beethoven.

Here was a person well read not only in Islam, but also the philosophies of the West and the East and comfortable that no views were pre-eminent, because he was confident in his own faith and culture. In this sense, no Asian, nor indeed anyone, should feel fearful that his or her own beliefs or views will be drowned or tainted by the West or other beliefs. The world has become too big, too complex and too inter-connected for us to have closed minds.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with closing one’s own mind, because that is one’s own prerogative, but one should not endeavour to close other minds.

All leaders will be judged by history, some rightly, some wrongly. But they will be judged not just by what they achieved in their lifetime, but also by being themselves as human beings. The leaders that I have met and impressed me most were those who touched everyone who met them as sincere humanists, who believed passionately what they wanted to do and also recognised their own failings.

Gus Dur was such a leader. He had a great sense of humour, not failing to laugh at his own limitations. How can one not like the man who said, “Suharto was a New Order president, Habibie was In Order and I am No Order.”

·Andrew Sheng is Adjunct Professor at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur and Tsinghua University, Beijing.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Gus Dur’s immortal legacy

Achmad Munjid , Philadelphia | Fri, 01/08/2010 9:36 AM | Opinion

For most people involved with Islamic boarding schools, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is not just an organization. NU is a genuine version of ahl sunnah wa al-jama’ah (or aswaja, which means the People of the Prophet’s Traditions and Community, the Sunni).

In this setting, Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid can be categorized as a wali (saint).

A wali in Sufi tradition is a friend of God’s, a moral guardian and protector of other creatures. In our time, what can be more articulate for the true meaning of a wali than Gus Dur’s life?

His life was an extraordinary example of the tireless struggle for freedom, equality and justice for all, deeply rooted in his Islamic faith.

His being literally accessible for everyone made him almost like a crystal to whom every type of group and individual might voice their hope and be assured of human solidarity: human rights activists, politicians, philosophers, clerics, interfaith thinkers, feminists, intellectuals, artists, students, spiritualists, peasants, religious and ethnic minorities, authors, international leaders — you name it.

His simple life was a rare example for more than 30 million NU members, most of them at the grass roots. In 1987, as the NU chairman, Gus Dur still lived in a rented house and frequently used crowded public transportation to get around the city.

For years he toiled in his office in the stifling Jakarta heat, with no air conditioning or even an electric fan.

In almost every aspect, Gus Dur was a giant: social class, intellectual capacity, political talent, religious piety. What made him even more unusual was his tireless schedule traveling around the country for silaturahmi (maintaining and improving social relations), to meet people, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, to share support and wisdom. He kept doing this even after becoming president, even after suffering for years from strokes, blindness, kidney failure, diabetes, etc., until the last days of his life.

Thanks to this intensive silaturahmi, not only did Gus Dur keep in touch with so many real people and their actual problems around the country, or bring great charismatic clerics such as Abdullah Faqih of Langitan to national attention, but he also gave due recognition and introduced local leaders of remote villages previously unknown, people like Shaikh Mas’ud of Cilacap — a collector of rare books written by classical Indonesian Muslim scholars.

Many other local leaders, values and wisdom from the Islamic boarding schools he discovered for the wider public.

His most frequent practice was probably the ziarah kubur (grave visit), which was also the most misunderstood both by modernist Muslims and secular groups. Regardless of how you may want to understand “the unseen world” — a key principle in Islamic faith — visiting a grave, especially to those of saints, is a very well-known practice of spiritual exercise in Sufism throughout Islamic history.

By performing this exercise properly and sufficiently, the human spirit will be purified and sensitized. It is this purity and sensitivity that enables a Muslim to translate Islamic faith beyond mere orthodoxy and orthopraxy. By way of ziarah — praying, chanting, dzikir, learning the lessons of the saints, deeply contemplating in the right time and psychological mood — one may get spiritual enlightenment that will draw one closer to God and human beings. That is why haul (death anniversary) is a popular part of Islamic boarding school tradition. Haul is not so much about remembering death as it is a celebration of life and its meaning in relation to the spiritual world.

Gus Dur may never remember my name. But I am among the tens of thousands of young NU people from remote Indonesian areas who have traveled to far-off countries to explore new horizons of ideas and realities, thanks to the inspiration he gave and difficult path he walked with sincerity and courage.

I am part of the Islamic boarding school generation, millions in number, born and raised during the Soeharto era. We were an ignored generation under Soeharto. Our attitude toward relations between Islam and modernity was very ambiguous. With no access, we were jealous about the many fascinations of modernity as displayed by Soeharto’s high modernism and development projects. On the other hand, we were so proud of Islamic learning and tradition that was branded backward and irrational, an obstacle to national development and even a potential enemy of the state.

We knew the government was corrupt, unjust and anti-Islamic, but it went unchallenged. We knew Islamic boarding schools were rich and had so much to offer, but we did not know how to unpack it.

We were so powerless and lost.

Thanks to Gus Dur, we learned that students of these schools did have an equally valuable heritage to offer the modern world, and we learned how to present it meaningfully. That Islam is completely compatible with the principles of modernity. That in order for Islam to be rahmatan lil ‘alamin (God’s mercy for the Universe), Muslims should be in sincere dialogue and total engagement with others regardless of their ethnicity, culture, worldview and faith.

At time when most people grow pessimistic about NU, Gus Dur became the loudspeaker who assuaged our optimism. He had unconditional and abundant love for his country, especially NU and more specifically young people.

“No single Muslim organization on Earth has as much potential as NU,” he said repeatedly and confidently to everybody.


The writer is the president of the NU community in North America and a PhD student in religious studies at Temple University, Philadelphia, US.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Gus Dur father of pluralism

Gus Dur father of pluralism
JAKARTA Dec.31 — President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has described former president Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur as the father of pluralism for uniting the multi-racial and multi-religious country.
"He is the father of pluralism and multi-culturalism. He used his wisdom to end discrimination and held diversity of the people in high regard,” said Susilo at Gus Dur”s funeral service at Pondok Pesantren Tebu Ireng, Jombang, East Jawa here today.
Gus Dur had shown his strong commitment as a defender of minorities and during his presidency, the Chinese New Year was recognised as a national holiday.
Susilo said Gus Dur had set an example that Islam was a source of peace and tolerance and inspired many imminent people at the national and international levels.
"He will be remembered for his efforts in enhancing democracy in Indonesia. In early 90s, Gus Dur along with other eminent persons organised a democracy forum to spread the democratic concept through strategies and development,” he added. - Bernama
Friday, January 1, 2010
Gus Dur pemimpin berwawasan


KUALA LUMPUR 31 Dis. – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak menyifatkan bekas Presiden Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid atau Gus Dur yang meninggal dunia semalam sebagai seorang pemimpin yang berwawasan jauh demi negaranya.

Perdana Menteri berkata, Gus Dur adalah seorang negarawan dan cendekiawan yang sentiasa berusaha membawa perubahan kepada Indonesia selari dengan nilai-nilai murni Islam.
“Impak Gus Dur dalam membentuk Indonesia tidak boleh dipandang rendah,” kata Najib dalam blognya, www.1Malaysia.com.

Gus Dur, 69, meninggal dunia pada pukul 6.45 petang semalam ketika di rawat di hospital di Jakarta akibat kegagalan jantung, ginjal dan masalah gula dalam darah.

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ARKIB : 01/01/2010
Gus Dur selamat dikebumi

Daripada BORHAN ABU SAMAH
borhan.samah@utusan.com.my



Anggota tentera Indonesia mengusung keranda jenazah Allahyarham Abdurrahman Wahid diiringi para penyokongnya pada majlis pengkebumiannya di Jombang, Jawa Timur, semalam. – AFP

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JAKARTA 31 Dis. – Presiden keempat Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid hari ini selamat dikebumikan di Kompleks Pondok Pesantren Tebu Ireng, Jombang, Jawa Timur.

Upacara pengkebumian diketuai Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono diiringi laungan takbir, tahlil serta tangisan beribu-ribu hadirin.

“Saya Presiden Republik Indonesia atas nama negara dan Tentera Nasional Indonesia (TNI), dengan ini mempersembahkan ke persada ibu pertiwi jiwa raga dan jasa Almarhum Abdurrahman Wahid, Presiden Republik Indonesia keempat, putera dari Wahid Hasyim, yang telah meninggal dunia, pada 30 Disember 2009, pukul 6.45 petang waktu Indonesia barat, kerana sakit,” kata Susilo ketika menyerahkan jenazah Abdurrahman Wahid untuk pemakaman.

Tambah Susilo, semoga baktinya kepada negara dan bangsa Indonesia menjadi teladan dan rohnya mendapat tempat yang sewajarnya.

Susilo turut menyebut Gus Dur sebagai Bapa Pluralisme.

Menurut Susilo, Gus Dur merupakan tokoh utama yang mendorong perubahan demokrasi di Indonesia.

“Semasa hidupnya, Gus Dur mengajarkan kita semua untuk menghargai kemajmukan. Ia merupakan bapak pluralisme dan multikulturisme Indonesia,” jelasnya.

Menurut Susilo, Gus Dur juga merupakan tokoh penting dalam perkembangan Islam di Indonesia dan Gus Dur disebut sebagai seorang pemimpin dan pemikir Islam yang diakui dunia.

Jenazah Abdurrahman diturunkan ke liang lahat pada pukul 1.30 petang oleh Panglima TNI, Jeneral Djoko Santoso dibantu anggota TNI daripada pelbagai angkatan dan disaksikan oleh Susilo dan Naib Presiden, Boediono serta Menteri Kabinet Indonesia.

Setelah jenazah diturunkan, bendera Merah Putih yang menyelimuti keranda dilipat dan isteri Gus Dur, Siti Sinta Nuriyah kemudian menaburkan bunga sebelum liang lahat ditutup dengan tanah, diikuti oleh anggota keluarga lainnya.

Anak perempuan Gus Dur, Yenny Wahid yang masih kesedihan terpaksa dipapah.

Susilo mengumumkan Indonesia berkabung selama seminggu dan bendera Merah Putih dikibarkan separuh tiang sepanjang tempoh itu.

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom mewakili Malaysia pada upacara pengkebumian Gus Dur.

Beliau diiringi isteri Datin Fatmawati Saidin serta Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha III Wisma Putra Datuk Iskandar Sarudin dan Setiausaha Bahagian Asia Tenggara Wisma Putra, Datuk Adnan Othman.



Zannuba Arifah (tengah) yang juga dikenali sebagai Yenny Wahid memegang keranda bapanya sebelum jenazah Abdurrahman Wahid dikebumikan di Jombang, wilayah timur Jawa, semalam. – REUTERS

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Turut menghadiri upacara itu ialah Duta Besar Malaysia ke Indonesia, Datuk Syed Munshe Afdzaruddin Syed Hassan dan dua orang pegawai daripada Kedutaan Besar Malaysia ke Indonesia.

Gus Dur, 69, meninggal dunia pada pukul 6.45 petang, semalam, di Hospital Cipto Mangunkusumo setelah mengalami kemerosotan kesihatan

berikutan penyakit kencing manis, jantung dan angin ahmar.

Beliau, yang memerintah Indonesia dari 1999 hingga 2001, ialah pengasas Parti Kebangkitan Bangsa (PKB), sebuah parti politik yang berasaskan Islam.

Gur Dur menggantikan Presiden B.J. Habibie setelah dipilih oleh Majlis Permesyuaratan Rakyat (MPR) hasil Pilihan Raya Umum 1999.

Beliau dilahirkan pada 4 Ogos 1940, di Jombang, Jawa Timur, Gus Dur dan mendapat pendidikan di Universiti Baghdad, Iraq di Fakulti Adad Jurusan Sastera Arab dari 1966 hingga 1970, serta Universiti Al-Azhar, Kaherah, Mesir di Fakulti Syariah dari 1964 hingga 1966.

Gus Dur meninggalkan seorang balu Sinta Nuriyah dan empat orang anak perempuan Alissa Qotrunnada Munawaroh, Zannuba Arifah Chafsoh, Annita Hayatunnufus dan Inayah Wulandari. – Utusan



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ARKIB : 31/12/2009
Najib ucap takziah kepada keluarga Gus Dur
31/12/2009 8:34pm


KUALA LUMPUR 31 Dis. — Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hari ini menyampaikan ucapan takziah kepada keluarga bekas presiden Indonesia Abdurrahman Wahid dan rakyat Indonesia atas kematiannya.

Pemimpin Indonesia itu, dengan panggilan mesra Gus Dur, 69, meninggal akibat komplikasi kesihatan di Jakarta petang semalam.

"Impak Gus Dur dalam pembentukan Indonesia tidak dapat dipandang ringan.

Selaku negarawan dan cendekiawan, beliau berjuang untuk membawa perubahan dan reformasi yang mengandungi nilai-nilai Islam,” kata Perdana Menteri mengenai tinggalan Gus Dur dalam blognya www.1malaysia.com.my - Bernama



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ARKIB : 31/12/2009
Jamil Khir wakili Malaysia di permakaman negara untuk Gus Dur
31/12/2009 12:27pm


JAKARTA 31 Dis — Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom mewakili Malaysia pada upacara pengkebumian negara bekas Presiden Indonesia Abdurrahman Wahid atau Gus Dur di Jombang, Jawa Timur tengah hari ini.

Beliau, yang diiringi isteri Datin Fatmawati Saidin serta Timbalan Ketua Setiausaha III Wisma Putra Datuk Iskandar Sarudin dan Setiausaha Bahagian Asia Tenggara Wisma Putra Datuk Adnan Othman, berlepas dengan pesawat khas Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM) dari Kuala Lumpur ke Jawa Timur pagi ini.

Turut sama menghadiri upacara itu ialah Duta Besar Malaysia ke Indonesia Datuk Syed Munshe Afdzaruddin Syed Hassan dan dua orang pegawai daripada Kedutaan Besar Malaysia ke Indonesia, kata Timbalan Ketua Perwakilan Kedutaan Besar Malaysia di sini, Amran Mohamed Zain.

Sementara itu, pada pukul 8.10 pagi ini (Waktu Indonesia Barat) jenazah Gus Dur diterbangkan dengan pesawat Tentera Nasional Indonesia (TNI) Angkatan Udara dari pangkalan udara Halim Perdana Kusuma di sini ke Surabaya.

Jenazah beliau sebelum itu dibawa keluar dari kediamannya di Ciganjur, Jakarta Selatan dalam sebuah kenderaan jenazah dengan penuh penghormatan negara pada satu upacara yang dipimpin Ketua Majlis Permusyawaratan Rakyat (MPR) Taufik Kiemas.

Gus Dur akan disemadikan bersebelahan dengan makam datuknya Hasyim Asy’ari, pengasas pertubuhan Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) di kawasan permakaman keluarga di Pondok Pesantren (pusat pengajian Islam) Tebu Ireng, Jombang, Jawa Timur pada tengah hari ini. - Bernama

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ARKIB : 31/12/2009
Gus Dur meninggal dunia

Daripada Borhan Abu Samah
borhan.samah@utusan.com.my



Gus Dur

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JAKARTA 30 Dis. – Bekas Presiden Indonesia, Abdurrahman Wahid, (gambar) 69, meninggal dunia pada pukul 6.45 petang ini (waktu Indonesia Barat) ketika dirawat di Hospital Cipto Mangunkusumo di sini.

Adik kandung Abdurrahman, Sholahudin Wahid mengesahkan kematian Abdurrahman yang lebih dikenali sebagai Gus Dur dan merupakan Presiden Indonesia keempat itu.

“Saya mendapat khabar beliau meninggal. Khabar yang saya terima beliau meninggal pada pukul 6.45 petang,” kata Gus Sholah kepada pemberita.

Presiden Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono dan para menteri, kenamaan, ahli keluarga serta rakan-rakan Gus Dur menziarahi jenazah Allahyarham di hospital berkenaan malam ini.

Allahyarham Gus Dur yang merupakan anak sulong daripada enam adik beradik akan dikebumikan di Jombang, Jawa Timur iaitu tempat kelahirannya.

Kesihatan Gus Dur merosot ketika menziarahi kubur Ibu Nyai Fatah di Pesantren Bahrul Ulum Tambak Beras, Jombang, Jawa Timur pada 24 Disember lalu.

Berikutan itu Gus Dur dikejarkan ke Hospital Swadana Jombang kemudian dipindahkan ke Hospital Cipto Mangunkusumo pada 25 Disember lalu.

Gigi Gus Dur dicabut berikutan gusinya yang membengkak dan beliau juga terpaksa menjalani rawatan dialisis di hospital berkenaan.

Pengarah Hospital Cipto Mangunkusumo, Akmal Taher berkata, Gus Dur meninggal dunia akibat kegagalan jantung, ginjal dan masalah gula di dalam darah.

Sementara itu Ketua Dewan Perwakilan Pusat Parti Demokrat, Anas Urbaningrum menyifatkan kematian Gus Dur merupakan kehilangan terbesar kepada bangsa Indonesia.

“Kita kehilangan tokoh besar yang kita sendiri tidak tahu bila lahir penggantinya,” kata Anas melalui khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) yang dikirimkan kepada media.

Beliau juga berkata, Gus Dur menjadi pemecah kebekuan dan kejumudan pemikiran. Dalam pada itu Susilo mengarahkan semua acara sambutan tahun baru dibatalkan bagi menghormati kematian Gus Dur. – Utusan

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