NU: Pancasila best political solution

Jakarta, NU Online
Indonesia's biggest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) has said that "Pancasila" would be the best answer to the problems being faced by Islamic countries currently involved in conflicts.<>

"Pancasila is a global political system solution that every country, especially Islamic countries can use. The proof is in Indonesia's stability so far," said the Deputy General Chairman of NU, KH As'ad Said Ali,  when asked to comment on the problems currently faced by Islamic countries in connection with the upcoming Asia-Africa Conference commemoration on April 19.

Pancasila is the basis for Indonesia's national ideological foundation, which implies five principles covering belief in the one and only God, just and civilized humanity, the unity of Indonesia, democracy guided by inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations amongst representatives and social justice for all of the people of Indonesia.

"I hope the President will present it at the AAC. Now it is time for moderate Islamic groups to convey their view regarding the current world problems," he said.

He said the implementation of Pancasila as a state ideology had proven brought more stability to the country because its formulation accommodated all sides.

"Under Pancasila, different ethnic and religious groups can unite because its formulation can bind all. It means we are the right ones. Let us just see which country in the Middle East remains stable except Saudi Arabia, besides Indonesia. So it means we are right," he said.

Indonesia, the former deputy chief of the State Intelligence Agency said, is a country that implements the substantial instead of a formalistic shariah.

"According to our principles, we do not award a shariah label because it will disrupt unity. It is sufficient for us to implement it substantially. Based on this, Moslems will now only ask what they can do for the nation for the sake of Indonesia's unity," he said.

He said NU had stated in the 1936 congress that Indonesia was an Islamic country in the sense that the majority of its population was Muslim.

In line with these developments, shariah would continue to be honored, based upon inputs from clerics, but the government has never put a label of religion on it.

"Pancasila is already Islamic as its first principle acknowledges the one and only God while all laws in the Criminal Code (KUHP) are taken from the shariah law," he said.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq