NKRI without any intervention

The Unitary Sate maintained and upheld by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) has not been merely a Unitary Sate of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), but that has been free and independent from any foreign intervention. The statement was said by NU lawmaking body KH Sahal Mahfudz at an opening ceremony of National Ulema Meeting and Major Conference of NU in Surabaya last month.

The voice asserted not to refer to such a completely thing, but to address a lot of problems facing the NKRI. In addition to the problem of separatisms and faded national identity, other threats posed to the country’s independence and sovereignty are now increasingly spreading. In consequence, the national endurance in such terms such as belief, ideology, politics and economy has been declining.

As a result, according to Kiai Sahal, the government and state has lost such capability in protecting and making Indonesia’s people prosperous. In terms of the existing extreme(ist) groups threatening the national integrity and disturbing the maintenance local tradition and culture, the government has not guaranteed their preservation yet. Furthermore, the people’s prosperity has been really vulnerable due to all strategic economical sectors of ours have been handed over to outsiders. Consequently, their advantages have no longer been utilized for national interest but have been exploited by foreigners by colonizing our country.  

By all accounts the statement as affirmed by the leader of Pesantren Maslakhul Huda Pati should be ideally responded by Surabaya’s Musyawirin (participants) to be formulated as a work agenda. It can be in turn implemented as a real movement. This is the absolutely meaning of the NKRI. It can expectedly maintain, uphold fight against whoever disturbing and threatening the integrity of the NKRI by putting aside his/her commitment to Pancasila (Five Principles) and nationhood ideas. 

Besides, the statement of the NU prominent man means that it is not true to say NU is now shifting to the right, that tends to be fundamentalist as a proof that NU has refused the formalization of Islamic law (syaria) as a state’s ideology. NU has consistently expected the state to be again and again based on the pluralistic Pancasila, not only by accommodating all emerging Islamic schools of thought, but also by protecting other faith and ideology.

The affirmation that NU would always uphold the nation’s plurality especially that related to local culture means that NU by itself has blocked such a claim that NU has recently become an exclusive organization following its approval of the draft law of pornography (RUU APP). What it has opposed to the pornography is that the pornography supported by capitalists as trade medium has humiliated self respect of women particularly Islamic women.

As for NU, the freeing of parts of the body which may not be visible (aurat) must be opposed because it is not in line with Islamic tenets. The stripping supported by the capitalists will not only deprave but will also destroy national economic potentials. In turn, the local and Muslim-styled clothes have become short clothes designed by the capital owners that act of making total uniform to again disturb local clothes expression.

Ahlussunnah as a belief, Pancasila and 1945 Constitution as state’s principle and ideology have always become references of NU to think and behave. Thus, all thoughts and actions should base themselves on Islamic values and Pancasila. It means that what NU has done is all of the time in accordance with the thorough principle, way and aims.

So once again, the Rais Am asserted that in living life, NU basis itself on spiritual values to be then implemented in reality to produce men and women possessing integrity both morally and intellectually. Because of both integrities, NU can be a model either for its followers or entire Indonesia’s people.

The NU affirmation concerning the NKRI was not merely an empty one, yet it was full of significance and values because it has been based on principles as sketched earlier either originated from Islam or Pancasila. The principles have become the first step to strengthen the unitary and integrity of the state. (Abdul Mun’im DZ)