Mudji Sutrisno: President is trivial matter for Gus Dur

Jakarta, NU Online
The life of the 4th President of Indonesia KH Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur is not only memorable among Muslims. A compliment also came from the Catholic clergy Prof. Dr. Mudji Sutrisno for being considered to have been capable of protecting all parties.<>

"Gus Dur could promote Islam that is friendly, humanist, and even humorous. In fact, I think, the presidential (post) was too small for Gus Dur, yes he should still be a teacher of the nation, because it is beyond any status,"said the country's outstanding culturalist.

The statement was made by Prof. Mudji at the book launching "Gus Durku, Gus Dur Anda, Gus Dur Kita" written by Muhammad AS Hikam in the Function Room, Matraman Gramedia Bookstore, Jakarta, Sunday (22/9). Present also at the occasion was Chairman of the Indonesian Muslim Culturalists Association (Lebumi) Zastrouw al-Ngatawi.

Mudji said, 'what lesson we can take' from Gus Dur was his commitment in the fight for democracy as a political system that is able to protect both the minority and the majority.

Meanwhile, Zastrouw called Gus Dur as a master communicator for being able to understand difficult religious thoughts to become easy-to-understand ones, and explain various problems that are considered simple by others in scientific and rational ways.

"Gus Dur in my own term is Social Amphibian that is able to live and adapt and cavort in some worlds, ranging from 'the earth to the universe', from the imaginary to the empirical," he added.

Reporting by Fathoni; Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq