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NU chairman: PKNU has four strengths

NU Online  ·  Selasa, 13 Januari 2009 | 22:27 WIB

Surabaya, NU Online
General chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) KH Hasyim Muzadi said the Ulema National Awakening Party (PKNU) had four strengths that are not possessed by many other political parties.

"If the four strengths are maximized they would be such an extraordinary power," Hasyim addressed a great meeting of PKNU across East Java at Jatim Expo Surabaya Tuesday.<>

Hasyim said the first strength was the involvement of many charismatic ulema in the party and the second was the involvement of chairman of the advisory council of PKNU who is also a board member of PBNU, KH. Ma'ruf Amin.

"Kiai Ma'ruf Amin is not just an ordinary figure, he is the one being able to formulate Islamic laws (sharia) for the sake of ummah (people)," Hasyim said, adding that Kiai Ma'ruf also had capacity in dealing with sharia as such implementable rules.

Hasyim was of view that all concepts produced by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) could not be separated from the role played by Kiai Ma'ruf.

While the third, according to Hasyim, was the involvement of Prof. Dr. Alwi Shihab that earned his PhD from both Harvard University (U.S) and Al Azhar University (Egypt).

"Pak Alwi is the man being capable of building international network," Hasyim said, adding that there would be some 70 doctorates from overseas willing to involve themselves in NU organization.

The fourth strength, Hasyim said, was the man of the party's general chairman, Choirul Anam. "Cak Anam is a 'fighter' in NU and an activist."

In the meantime, Hasyim added that within PKNU there were many ulema with their own concerns. "If they are active and productive in accordance with their own field, they would be an extraordinary power," Hasyim said.

Present also at the occasion were the founding members and ulema  of PKNU such as KH Abdullah Faqih, KH Idris Marzuki, KH Achmad Sofyan, KH R Cholil As'ad, KH Sholeh Qosim, KH Nurul Huda Jazuli, Habib Husein Al Hadad dan KHMas Achmad Subadar.

While from PKNU were KH Ma'ruf Amin, KH Warsun Al Munawir, KH Abdurrahman Chudlori, H Choirul Anam, Prof Dr Alwi Shihab, H Idham Cholied. (dar)