NU senior figure calls on Subur to return to straight path

Jakarta, NU Online
The supreme Council of Nahdlatul Ulama KH Ma'ruf Amin called on Subur--who is known to his disciples as Eyang--to repent and return to a straight path for allegedly deviating from Islamic doctrine and having too many wives.<>

Kiai Ma'ruf who is also the chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) said that the edict was issued after the conclusion of an MUI investigation that began April 8, 2013. The council gathered that Subur had digressed from mainstream Islamic teachings by having eight wives, when the religion only allows for a man to have four.

Though he has not officially tainted the religion, the MUI believes that Subur violated Islamic principles and has asked him to divorce four of his spouses and stop working as a shaman and a clairvoyant.

“If he refuses to repent, the MUI will report his actions to the police since we don’t have any authority to punish him,” kaiai Ma’ruf said.

He went on to say that if Subur admitted his wrongdoings, he would have to issue a statement.

Kiai Ma’ruf called on all of Subur’s disciples to stop following him, though he warned people — especially Muslims — to not be provoked by Subur’s actions and use the situation as an excuse to wage violence.

Subur gained notoriety in the media after four of his followers, including former child singer Adi Bing Slamet, lashed out at him via social media and accused him of being a heretic.

Adi regularly went to Subur’s house with many others. However, he soon realized that the supposed spiritual guru was extorting his followers by asking them to take part in bogus rituals such as drinking salt-water and coffee without sugar.

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq