Examining The Meaning Of Yahya Cholil Staquf's Statement Regarding The Prohibition Of NU Political Practically

Nahdlatul Ulama or NU, the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia that is never separated from the relationship with politics. (Doc. Nahdlatul Ulama)

JAKARTA - Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) has emphasized their attitude ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Since last year, the General Chairperson of the NU Executive Board KH Yahya Cholil Staquf emphasized that NU will not be involved in practical politics, even though he has not banned NU citizens from politics.

The man who is familiarly called Gus Yahya asked NU not to be linked to practical political interests.

"There is no prohibition against NU residents from politics. Please campaign, as long as you don't use NU [organization], either in parties that are born or not, NU. Because all parties have Nahdliyin's involvement," said Gus Yahya on November 21, 2022.

Khittah Nahdliyah, the 27th NU Congress in 1984 in Situbondo or the results of the 1989 NU 28th Congress in Krapyak Yogyakarta, became Gus Yahya's guide to uphold NU's attitude ahead of this presidential election. Will NU be able to truly break free from practical politics? Or does Yahya Staquf's call actually indicate otherwise, that NU is getting closer to practical politics?

As the largest universal organization in Indonesia, it seems that it is difficult for NU to truly escape from practical politics. Mainly in the political year as it is today. In previous years' elections, NU was often used as a political tool. An example is in the 2019 presidential election. NU's support for the Joko Widodo and Ma'Ruf Amin five years ago was considered to be one of the causes of the couple's victory.

Not long ago, the presidential candidate from the PDI-P Ganjar Pranowo also attended the istighosah and general recitation of Jam'iyyah Ahlith Tariqah aI-Muktabara an-Nahdliyah (Jatman) in Rembang. There, Ganjar apologized and said goodbye as governor to scholars and residents of Rembang. On that occasion, the former Governor of Central Java also took the time to visit Nyai Muchsinah Cholil, the mother of the Ketum PBNU, who was very suitable for the communication strategy to welcome the presidential contestation in the future.

It is natural then that Yahya Staquf's strong statement that NU is not involved in practical politics has attracted public attention. Executive Director of Indonesia Political Opinion (IPO) Dedi Kurnia Syah believes that what Yahya Staquf did actually brought NU further into practical politics.

In many national contestations NU will always be involved, including today, even thicker the nuances of politics in the leadership of Yahya Staquf. In previous times, Said Aqil had never banned or invited Nahdliyin to make political choices for certain figures and parties, who made the invitation as a NU figure who simultaneously served as a PKB cadre," said Dedi Kurnia to VOI.

"However, Yahya Staquf personally and firmly prohibits NU from choosing PKB, this sign that Yahya Staquf is further bringing NU to practical politics."

Although Yahya Staquf firmly expressed his reluctance if NU was linked to politics in the 2024 presidential election, Dedi Kurnia believes that the majority of PKB voters are Nahdliyin. Because according to him, Yahya Staquf's call only applies to the PBNU elite.

"For the bottom vote base, the invitation from the PBNU elite is usually not rooted down, and still the majority of PKB voters are Nahdliyin," continued the man who also works as a lecturer.

NU is the largest religious social organization (jam'iyah) in Indonesia. On its way, little by little NU took part in politics. Starting from the emergence of the Islamic Council A'la Indonesia (MIAI) and then changing Masyumi (Indonesian Muslim Syuro Council). After Indonesia's independence, Masyumi, who was originally a non-political organization, turned into a political party with NU as the backbone.

Masyumi even became the largest political party in Indonesia in the period 1940 to 1950. However, internal friction caused NU and Masyumi to divorce, then became the same-named political party, namely NU. After becoming a political party, NU has a strong basis and managed to get a fairly large vote. Until finally in 1983 it was decided that NU would no longer be involved in politics and become a pure religious organization.

With a long NU history in the political world, Dedi Kurnia actually considered that there was a hidden meaning from what Yahya Staquf said, as the saying that there was a shrimp behind the stone. There is a possibility that what Ketum PBNU does is a form of dislike for one of the current pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates.

"The 2024 situation is different, when 2019 Ma'ruf Amin was recognized and considered to represent NU. But now Muhaimin is the vice presidential candidate Anies Baswedan who is actually NU, and even Muhaimin is part of the family of the founder of NU. It's just that Yahya Staquf seems to have a personal dislike, and this is worrying, Yahya Staquf is expressing his personal desire on behalf of politics," he concluded.