Lesbumi NU to revive preaching concepts of Sunan Kalijaga

Demak, NU Online
The success of peaceful preaching conducted by the nine saints (wali songo) in Indonesia and and having successfully islamized people in the archipelago without violence should be revived in the midst of chaotic conditions in the name of religion.

One of the nine saints, Sunan Kalijaga for instance, he began preaching through any medium such as puppet (wayang) and (musical composition for) gamelan to spread directly Islamic teachings to local society.<>

Through the medium, the Institute of Indonesian Muslim Artists and Culturalists of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is trying to revive the Kalijaga's teachings by performing a dance-drama entitled "Lelaku Guru Sejati Kanjeng Sunan Kalijaga" that would be performed by 100 choreographers from the Indonesian Art Institute (ISI) of Surakarta on Tuesday (18/12) evening at the funeral complex of Sunan Kalijaga Kadilangu, Demak, Sentral Java.

"We want to revive his spirit of preaching through both tradition and cultural approaches," Chairman of the Lesbumi Al Zastrow NG told NU Online on Tuesday (17/12).

Zastrow said, Sunan Kalijaga was a saint being able to bridging other saints having such special characteristics such as Sunan Ampel (intellectual), Sunan Kudus (economist), Sunan Muria (statesman), Sunan Bonang (sufi)

He explained the purposeful event would be held coinciding with a big annual celebration (haul) of Sunan Kalijaga that would reportedly be attended by the NU figures, namely KH Mustofa "Gus Mus" Bisri and KH Said Aqil "Kang Said" Siroj. (mkf)