NU has run unique and brilliant diplomatic mission

Jakarta, NU Online
For many people, perhaps connecting Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) with diplomatic activities is an unimaginable thing and is even considered impossible, because NU is an ulema organization that is only perceived to specifically deal with the social religious field.

Deputy Secretary General of NU KH Abdul Mun'im DZ told NU Online here on Tuesday (11/9), saying that in the eyes of orientalists and modernists, NU was stigmatized as a traditional organization, so that some people's disbelief is reasonable, at least according to the logic of orientalists and modernists.

But what is called reality is much greater and richer than imagination and logic, let alone just one's prejudice. In this case the reality presents another NU experience, namely running a diplomatic mission with successfully strategic steps, he said.

According to Kiai Mun'im, Nahdlatul Ulama established in 1926 is a form of response to the existing problems. As a group of ulema embracing the teachings of Ahlussunah wal jamaah, these Indonesian Muslim scholars were confronted with some of the great challenges.

"Firstly, is the accelerating expansion of colonialism. So far Dutch colonialism over the Indonesian nation was military and political and economic. Since 1900 AD, the Dutch began to conduct cultural imperialism, namely mental colonization by opening Dutch schools," he said.

Secondly, not long afterwards coincided with the emergence of the Communist socialism movement around 1916, many Muslims were dragged into the communist movement. Especially after communism inspired the so-called Serikat Islam, so that the people's union or the Serikat Islam Merah (Red SI).

Thirdly, the emergence of a puritanical Islamic movement in the holy land of Mecca forcing one school of thought thus removing others.

According to Kiai Mun'im, there is also an attempt by the extreme groups to dismantle historic sites, especially the tombs of sahabat (Prophet's friends) and his. So the Muslim scholars of Ahlussuh waljamaah gathered themselves in a struggle called Nahdlatul Ulama. At that time NU sent KH Wahab Chasbullah to meet King Indu Saud to postpone the plan. Due to the call of Indonesian Muslim scholars then the prophet's tomb was left until now.

"That is one form of diplomacy carried out by NU Muslim scholars when the Indonesian state was not yet independent. All of this is the background of the establishment of Nahdlatul Ulam (NU) in Indonesia," he said. (Masdar)