Hasyim says NU views culture as selective and innovative

Rome, NU Online
General chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) KH Hasyim Muzadi recently said that as the Indonesia's biggest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) viewed culture as selective and innovative and not a given set of unquestionable rules.

Hasyim argued there were parts of culture that are already in conformity with religious teachings and may even function as supporting factors in the spread of religion.<>

"It means religion can enlighten a community without necessarily altering its original culture," Hasyim said, adding that there were also cultures or some cultural expressions which are not in conformity with religious teachings.

As speaking at an inter-faith forum in Rome, Italy, the president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) also said that NU was relatively more elastic and adaptable in relation with the various cultures.

"As the living space of the NU, Indonesia is a mosaic of more than 200 cultures in one country in comparison with the Middle East, where one culture is shared in 32 countries," he said.

In the meantime, Hasyim added that historically, the introduction of Islam in Indonesia had also followed the cultural selectivity path as the cultures of Hinduism, Buddhism and indigenous belief systems already existed for centuries. (dar)