Jakarta, NU Online
The Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) will discuss a number of actual issues through the so-called bahsul masaíl (problems deliberation). The decision was made at the NU plenary meeting at Pesantren Kempek, Cirebon over the weekend (23-25 ​​/ 7). The scholarly forum is deliberately organized to respond any emerging issues and  problems in the community.

"We proposed that the NU bahtsul bahtsul forum is included in the series of the NU plenary meeting agenda per six month period. Alhamdulillah, our proposal is accepted by clerics and other executive NU board members," the Secretary of the NU Bahtsul Masail (LBM) Institute H Sarmidi Husna told reporters here on Friday (22/7).

According to Sarmidi, there had been many asking the much-awaited bahtsul bahtsul forum at the NU plenary meeting, saying that this forum would adjust its schedule with the per semester plenary session as stipulated in the NU Constitution and Bylaws (AD/ART). "So we will have more bahtsul masail meetings."

Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary of LBM NU Mahbub Ma'afi Ramadhan added that the idea proposed by the Central Board of LBM NU was due to the mounting problems in society that must be addressed immediately.

"If people have to wait for the five-year congress forum once or national conference of NU clerics that is held twice in five years to discuss the issues, that will take very long time," Mahbub said.

According to Mahbub, the two NU meetings will have no more adequate time to take up various issues in society because of time constraints. Therefore the two bahstul bahtsul meetings could not discuss many important issues, but only discuss some of the most crucial issues.

In addition, the interval or distict measure of time of NU conference or ulema national meeting to other similar forums is considerably far enough. So it is too long for the people waiting for any NU decisions related to the problems and issues in the religious perspectives, Mahbub said.

"Alhamdulillah the Central Board of NU includes bahtsul bahtsul forum in the per semester plenary session. In turn, NU will more quickly respond to possible problems in the community, and many other ones will soon be addressed," Mahbub said.

In the would-be bahstul bahtsul forum,  participants will reportedly take up such issues as brain bank, tax amnesty, online games like Pokemon Go, and investments managed by PT Cakrabuana Sukses Indonesia (CSI) with high interest in Cirebon. (Alhafiz K/Masdar)