PBNU Chairman Candidate Gus Yahya: Don't Understand NU Just For Identity

Candidate for General Manager of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Kiai Haji Yahya Cholil Staquf/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

BANDARLAMPUNG - Candidate for General Chairperson of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board, Kiai Haji Yahya Cholil Staquf, invites nahdliyin to not only understand NU as an identity because this organization was founded with a civilization mandate.

According to Gus Yahya, his nickname, if only understood as an identity, NU would only walk in place, and only move if attacked. There is no step to pursue a certain goal in the future.

"This is very important for all NU cadres to understand so that they are ready to move to work carrying out the organization's agenda," he said during a coffee with Gus Yahya in Bandarlampung, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, December 21.

This former member of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) said that NU was founded in 1926 after the Ottoman Caliphate collapsed in 1924. In fact, at that time, the Ottoman Caliphate became a model for the Islamic world.

With the collapse of the Ottoman Caliphate, said Gus Yahya, the Islamic world lost its model of civilization. In fact, hundreds of years earlier coloring and design.

"Then came the revitalization, modernization of Islam, then a new kingdom emerged in the Hejaz, Saudi Arabia led by Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud," he said.

One of the founders of NU, KH Wahab Chasbullah, who had been in Arabia, stated that Saudi Arabia could not be used as a model so that in the end together with scholars in the country founded NU.

"My deductive conclusion is that the establishment of NU is an attempt to find a new civilization format. It must be on a global scale, so the symbol chosen is the symbol of the universe, the globe," he explained.

On that basis, Gus Yahya believes that NU was indeed founded as an effort to pioneer and find a new civilization format to replace the old format that collapsed.

"NU's mandate is the mandate of civilization. A gigantic mandate," he stressed.

Gus Yahya also invited NU cadres to dare to think about this. The problem is, if you don't, you'll just be fighting over petty things like what's been happening so far.

"So, from now on we have to build the mentality and mindset to think about the mandate of civilization," he said.

Moreover, in the younger generation, this is not something that is difficult because there are already people who have started so they just need to continue. The figure is KH Abdurahman Wahid (Gus Dur).

"Gus Dur has already started. The political struggle, we can see his thoughts. That Gus Dur carried out the struggle for civilization," he said.

Gus Yahya acknowledged that efforts to make NU a model of civilization in the future needed a struggle. However, with strong triggers, communication, and cooperation, all of that can be done.

"I've met with about 474 branch managers throughout Indonesia. Then an agreement was built. It's not about choosing a general chairman, but agreeing to work together to build NU. This alone is very transformative," he said.

In the event, Gus Yahya also stated that he had openly stepped forward as Chairman of PBNU, not being asked to.

"I ran (joined the nomination, ed.) general chairman, applied for a job. What is his job? As I explained earlier. Not because being chairman of NU can run for president, run for vice president. I don't want that," he said.