Comparison between NU and Muhammadiyah politics

Book Title: The Political Reason of NU and Muhammadiyah; Over  Crossing Java
Author: Dr. Suaidi Asyari, MA, Ph.D
Publisher: LKiS, Yogyakarta
Edition: I, April 2009
Volume: xxiv + 448 pages
Reviewer: Fikrul Umam MS

NU, Nahdlatul Ulama is the largest religious social organization  (jamiyyah diniyyah-ijtimaiyyah) in the country which has apparently  focused more on problems of religious social life faced by its  followers. During the Old Order era, NU was a political party and  took part in coloring the Indonesia political life, because it was  disappointed by modernists dominating Masyumi. In its Sitobondo's   Congress, NU returned to its khittah (principle) to be a religious  social organization and again focused more on social problems.<>

NU has had a very vital and important role in the democratic  process in Indonesia, various organizational attitudes, views, and  policies adopted by the NU have, in fact, been able to color the  political life since the New Order until now. In 1999, NU bridged the  establishment of a political party that specifically and expectedly  accommodates the political aspirations of Nahdliyin (NU followers).  At this point the establishment was facilitated by the Central Board of  Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) and was attended by senior NU figures  such as KH. Muchit Muzadi, KH. Mustofa Bisri and KH   Abdurrahman Wahid. The party was the National Awakening Party.

Following the birth of PKB, NU has been committed to give freedom  for its followers instead of forcing them to choose a certain political  party. PKB was inseparable from NU so that the number of votes  secured by the party was a representation of NU followers across  Indonesia. In fact, the loyality of NU followers to their parent  organization was not as strong as their loyalty to PKB. As a result,  thousands and even millions of Nahdliyin could not help gain   significant votes for PKB.

The Internal dynamics within NU as a religious social organization in   its connection with the PKB is a special study presented in this book,  a fact that NU outside Java has its own different character if  compared with NU in Java. Both the loyalty of Nahdliyin to their  political party and the 2004 legislative and presidential  elections  were interesting issues to discuss.

NU founded in 1926 has claimed to be the largest Islamic  organization in the world, and more than 40 million Muslims are the  followers of NU. Recently Islamic studies have increasingly been  dominated by the dichotomy of "radical" versus "moderate", while  NU is positioned as as a moderate organization. A claim that  requires more re-examination. NU has had an important role in the  political arena in Indonesia and been studied from the perspective of  democracy and civil society.

According to a survey conducted by Saiful Mujani in 2002,  approximately 66% of Indonesian students (santri) were 18%  followers of Muhammadiyah, and 48% followers of NU. Thus it is  clear that both organizations have played an important role both in  mobilizing and in mediating the mass. The relationship between NU  and Muhammadiyah is modernist-puritan and traditionalist Muslims  based on first; the membership of the groups. Second; how Muslims  worship or perform their religious rituals. Regarding the  Muhammadiyah relationship with modernist-puritanist Islam there  are three things, namely; members, followers and worshipers.

The NU and Muhammadiyah followers based on their religious  rituals are most of the NU followers are Muslims who practice rituals  based on the Syafi'i schools of thought (d. 204 AH / 820 CE). While  most of the Muhammadiyah followers are Muslims practicing rituals  mostly based on the Hanbali school of thought (d. 241 AH / 855  CE). In dealing with the 1999 general election, Amien Rais,  Muhamnmadiyah leader (1995-2000) founded the PAN (National  Mandate Party).

While KH. Abdurrahman Wahid, the NU general chairman (1984- 1998) along with other NU clerics founded PKB (National  Awakening Party). Although the platform of PKB and PAN states that  they are open and secular political parties, many political observers  expect the two parties to take part in parliamentary  to address  aspirations of the NU and Muhammadiyah followers. Thus Nahdliyin  would expectedly choose PKB  and Muhammadiyah followers will  choose PAN.

Studies on NU and Muhammadiyah by examining their role in the  religious social politics in Indonesia through their early strong  developments, namely the idea of ijtihad (free interpretation), the  rejection of madzhab versus the ijma '(consensus), the recognition of  madzhab. NU theoretically advocates consensus and the  Muhammadiyah advocates ijtihad. Muhammadiyah, founded in  1912, is the "Puritan Islamic" organization, the religious organization  in which its developments are directly related to its followers and is in  accordance with the initial characteristics of organization by still  keeping up with long-standing social and political changes in  Indonesia.

This book presents the facts about the dynamics and the role of NU  and Muhammadiyah as the largest Islamic mass organizations in  Indonesia in the political life and the process of democratization in the  country following the collapse of the New Order regime, a study  about NU and Muhammadiyah which is often "ignored" by scientists  from within and outside the country.

The reviewer is social researcher, former managing director of the  LPM Paradigma, Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University  Yogyakarta.