Gus Yahya's Impeachment Efforts Can Hazard NU

PBNU General Chair Yahya Cholil Staquf. (Photo: ANTARA)

Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board, Ulil Abshar Abdalla, assessed that the effort to impeach PBNU General Chair Kiai Yahya Cholil Staquf was ironic and dangerous for organizational traditions.

He compared the current situation with Kiai Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur)'s leadership.

The difference is, in the New Order era, efforts to boost the PBNU Ketum actually came from the ruling external side.

In Gus Dur's time, efforts to appoint the general chairman were carried out by external parties (Orba authoritarian government). And at that time, NU survived, survived. Gus Dur was also the chairman of PBNU at that time. It's amazing, "wrote Ulil on his social media account as seen on Sunday, November 23.

According to him, this period is an important phase that is remembered sweetly by the NU generation, including himself.

However, the current conditions are very different and are even more concerning.

"That is the historical phase of NU which has always been remembered sweetly by NU generations from time to time, especially my generation. Now, the efforts to pick up actually come from within. Ironic. Unimaginable," he added.

Ulil stated that the move to remove the general chairman in the midst of Kiaiidmat's time as a 'sunnah sayyi'ah' or bad precedent should not have started, especially if the discourse arises from the top of the highest leadership in the clock structure 'iyah.

"It's not just ironic, it's also starting out sunnah sayyiah', a bad habit, which is to remove the general chairman in the middle of the road. What is even more ironic is that this new bad habit actually starts from the top of the highest leadership," he said.

As is known, the issue of impeachment of PBNU General Chair Kiai Yahya Cholil Staquf emerged following the circulation of a letter signed by Rais Aam PBNU Miftachul AKiaiyar containing punishments for the decision to bring in pro-Zionist speakers at the PBNU event.

The letter was a closed meeting minutes on Thursday, November 20, held by Kiai Miftachul AKiaiyar with daily Syuriyah administrators at the Aston City Hotel Jakarta.

Based on the Risalah document of the PBNU Syuriyah Daily Meeting, the meeting, which was attended by 37 of the 53 Syuriyah administrators, resulted in several important points, including asking Kiai Yahya Cholil Staquf to resign from his position as chairman.