Rejecting The Discourse Of The Extraordinary PBNU Congress, Gus Yahya: Maintain Organizational Integrity

Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board KH Yahya Cholil Staquf (ANTARA)

SURABAYA General Chairperson of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board KH Yahya Cholil Staquf together with Secretary General Saifullah Yusuf gathered all Nahdlatul Ulama Regional Management (PWNU) throughout Indonesia in a coordination meeting (rakor) in Surabaya.

The forum resulted in a unanimous agreement to reject the discourse of the PBNU Extraordinary Congress (MLB) which was discussed by a handful of groups to be held in December 2024.

Gus Yahya, as KH Yahya Cholil Staquf is known, stated that PWNU throughout Indonesia rejects MLB because it is considered to have no clear urgency and has the potential to damage organizational integrity.

"Actually, until now we are not sure whether the MLB discourse is serious or just for fun. There is no wind, there is no rain, suddenly the idea of MLB appears," said Gus Yahya, Monday, December 2, 2024.

He emphasized that over the past three years, NU has worked hard to maintain and strengthen organizational integrity. All these efforts are considered as the result of collective work that should not be disturbed by any party.

Chairman of PWNU Central Java KH Abdul Ghaffar Rozin (Gus Rozin) emphasized that all PWNU ranks throughout Indonesia agreed to reject MLB's plan which was considered to undermine NU's integrity.

"We firmly reject the MLB NU plan which is propagated by a handful of people. This effort is not in line with Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah's teachings which are the guidelines for NU," said Gus Rozin.

He also reminded that similar efforts in the past never succeeded because they did not get legitimacy from NU residents.

The MLB discourse emerged after Mubes Alim Ulama in Bangkalan, East Java, on August 18, 2024. The meeting resulted in an agreement called "Bakalan Manah," which was claimed to be the basis for the implementation of the PBNU MLB.

The chairman of the Presidium for the Rescue of the NU Organization and MLB, Abdussalam Shohib (Gus Salam), previously stated that the Pre-MLB agenda will be held in Surabaya in December 2024. Gus Salam claims that a number of senior scholars support this step in order to improve organizational organization.

However, this claim met resistance from the majority of PWNU, which considered the MLB discourse to be contrary to the collegial NU collective principle and organizational integrity.

"Whatever efforts that disturb the organization we will reject. NU is a common home, and we are responsible for maintaining its integrity," said Gus Rozin.

This coordination meeting forum reinforces NU's commitment to maintaining organizational stability in the midst of efforts by a number of parties that are considered to have the potential to divide.