Gus Yahya calls on people to build a movement to "revive" Gus Dur

Jakarta, NU Online

The General Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Central Board (PBNU) KH Yahya Cholil Staquf (Gus Yahya) attended the 12th Haul of the late KH Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) in Ciganjur, South Jakarta, on Thursday (12/30/2021).

On that occasion, Gus Yahya called on people to build a movement to "revive" Gus Dur, especially related to his idealism and vision.

"Gus Dur's idealism is the ideal of inclusive humanity, universal humanity, that we as humans must side with all humans without exception, regardless of any background," said Gus Yahya, who was an aide to President Gus Dur in 1999-2001.

Meanwhile, Gus Dur's vision, he added, was to move to seek the transformation of reality and the transformation of society as widely as possible. The movement has a goal to lead to a better quality of life for all human beings.

"Perhaps we have the opportunity to bring back what Gus Dur had previously presented if we worked on it together," said the leader of the Raudlatut Thalibin Islamic Boarding School, Leteh, Rembang, Central Java.

He emphasized that if no one could replace the fourth President of the Republic of Indonesia, it would be necessary to provide a thousand people to work like Gus Dur. But if a thousand people were not enough to bring Gus Dur, then Gus Yahya hoped to be able to provide a million people to work like Gus Dur.

"If a million people are not enough, let's invite all of humanity to adopt together, believe in the values ​​that Gus Dur fought for, the movement that Gus Dur once fought for, universal human values, and the struggle to create a future which is better, which is more noble for the civilization of mankind as a whole. Let's build a movement to 'revive' Gus Dur," said Gus Yahya.

He reminded that Gus Dur had died 12 years ago. During that time, the entire Indonesian nation and the children of humanity throughout the world, were forced to continue living without Gus Dur's physical presence.

“But we can feel it and I know, I can feel how all of you, until this moment, continue to miss Gus Dur. We know that there are so many people out there, children of the nation, children of humanity, who miss Gus Dur all the time," he said.

This longing appeared, according to Gus Yahya, because everyone still felt the need for Gus Dur's presence. He emphasized that in the midst of various problems and the many difficulties facing the nation, how few have come up with the intelligence to offer a way out like Gus Dur.

“In the midst of a moral cloud that darkens the world around us, how few people are present in the midst of people with full honesty like Gus Dur. In the midst of so many future uncertainties, confusion, how few are able to come up with prophetic movements like Gus Dur," said Gus Yahya.

"It seems that today there is no longer a human being who can play a role in replacing Gus Dur. But brothers and sisters, we all know Gus Dur, we spend our time studying to learn about Gus Dur," he concluded.

Reporter: Aru Lego Triono

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq