NU Congress: Govt needs to revitalize historical writings

Bandarlampung, NU Online

The issue of culture was also discussed in the Recommendation Commission Session of the NU 34th Congress which was held in Lampung, on December 22-24, 2021. On this stand, efforts need to be made to complete the reference for the establishment of a religious and national patterns in the archipelago.

Therefore, the NU Congress encouraged the government to rehabilitate and revitalize the writing of history, including sites and artifacts of the history of the archipelago in a more serious and comprehensive effort.

Chairwoman of the NU Congress Recommendation Commission Alissa Qotrunnada Munawaroh Wahid (Allisa Wahid) said that so far, the government had been stuck on lighthouse historical legacies. The government's consideration is based only a matter of restoring economic-tourism benefits by ignoring historical and present values ​​to deal with future changes.

"The government needs to develop a system for the preservation, maintenance and protection of the nation's cultural wealth through cultural heritage that is more integral to issues of education, tourism and creative economy," said Alissa when reading the decision of the Recommendation Commission in the Plenary Session III at the Multipurpose Building (GSG) University of Lampung, Thursday. (12/23/2021).

The government and society, Alissa continued, should strengthen cultural strategies to strengthen national values ​​as the roots of national identity, including instilling an inclusive attitude or opening up to diversity.

She explained that in particular, among Muslims, such a phenomenon was insperable from the development of non-contextual religious understanding. This religious view, she added, could create a closed, exclusive, and anti-diversity attitude. In fact, it could promote hatred and enmity towards those who are different.

"In the midst of a strong religious tradition in Indonesia and triggered by advances in information technology, the tendency of superficial religious knowledge occurs by ignoring the methodological principles of religious and humanitarian understanding by taking  non-authoritative sources," said Alissa.

Information technology is one of the supporting factors for the rapid development of religious ideas fueled by emotions, such as anger and fear in the frame of identity politics. As a result, some people do not view social class and intellectuals tend to be dragged into religious understandings and patterns that put forward negative cultural and political identities.

"All this threatens not only democracy and the social system but also the diversity, unity and integrity of the Republic of Indonesia and encourages protracted physical conflict and violence in society based on religious understanding," said Alissa.

She explained that such a religious understanding was actually contrary to the Islamic tradition that supports the archipelago. Islam Nusantara has been firmly rooted in Islamic moderation values, as well as being open and embracing differences.

In addition, Islam Nusantara is also adaptive to traditional traditions and is always oriented towards strengthening the common good as a realization of Islam rahmatan lil alamin. The pattern of Islamic diversity of Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah adopted by NU is a big capital that needs to be returned as a pattern of Islamic diversity in Indonesia.

Reporter: Aru Lego Triono

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq