PWNU DKI: The Republic's Largest Shareholder Is NU

Rais Syuriah DKI Jakarta Nahdlatul Ulama Regional Management (PWNU), Muhyiddin Ishaq (DOK Diah Ayu/VOI)

JAKARTA - DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung held a commemoration of Santri Day which was attended by students, boarding school caregivers, and Islamic mass organizations. Rais Syuriah DKI Jakarta Nahdlatul Ulama Regional Management (PWNU), Muhyiddin Ishaq, assessed that this warning was a form of appreciation for the history of the struggle of the students.

According to him, this commemoration is a momentum to remember the role of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and the students in defending Indonesia's independence through the resolution of jihad.

"If I may be more straightforward, my language is that the largest shareholder of the Republic is NU. Where did it come from? From the resolution of jihad," said Muhyiddin at DKI Jakarta City Hall, Wednesday, October 22.

Muhyiddin said that at that time President Soekarno asked the kiai for moral assistance to deal with the threat of Dutch allies and soldiers (NICA).

A few days after the meeting, he continued, the scholars then issued a fatwa on the resolution of jihad on October 22, 1945, which became a moral and spiritual basis for the struggle of the people of Surabaya.

"Therefore, a few days later a fatwa on jihad resolution was issued which resulted in a radius of 90 km from the city of Surabaya, for Muslims, the law is fardu totaling. I think that's the most important thing," he said.

Furthermore, Muhyiddin emphasized that without jihad resolutions driven by scholars and students during the independence period, Indonesia's struggle to defend the country would not be able to balance the strength of the armed allied soldiers at that time.

"Without a jihad resolution to face allied soldiers, we can't afford it. Allied soldiers have paralyzed Japan, while they have automatic weapons. TKR and Hezbollah weapons," he said.

On the same occasion, DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung emphasized the great role of santri and kiai in the history of the journey of the Indonesian nation. He said they had made a real contribution even before Indonesia's independence.

According to him, although the determination of Santri Day cannot be separated from political events, the main essence is the recognition of the contribution of the students in the history of the nation. Before Indonesia's independence, the students had become an important part of the education and formation of the nation's character.

"Although there are political events, the most important and the main thing is, actually before the resolution of jihad was read out earlier, the students in Indonesia had made a tremendous contribution to education in Indonesia. Even before there were formal institutions, Indonesia had not yet become independent. Most of the figures born at that time were from Islamic boarding schools," said Pramono.

Pramono assessed that the view that still doubts the role of kiai and ulama in the nation's history is a form of misunderstanding of national insight.

"So, if today there are still those who question the contribution of the kiai, alim ulama who are the caretakers of Islamic boarding schools, I think they have gone viral," he added.