A senior cleric wants the National Conference of Islamic Scholars and the Nahdlatul Ulama Grand Conference at the Al Falah Islamic Boarding School in Kediri, East Java, to be held with wisdom, caution, and responsibility.
"The community really hopes and requests that the national conference of Islamic scholars and the major conference held at the Ploso Islamic Boarding School will proceed with full wisdom, caution, and responsibility," said Abdurrohman Al-Kautsar or Gus Kautsar, Head of the Al Falah Islamic Boarding School, Ploso Village, Mojo District, Kediri Regency, in Kediri, Saturday.
Gus Kautsar, after the meeting of the senior kiai, said that there were several orders or requests from the masyayikh for the participants of the activity.
Some of these requests include not discussing, let alone determining, materials that have the potential to reduce, shift, or distance the historical, cultural, and spiritual relationship between NU as a community and the community leaders of the Muktabar Islamic boarding schools.
"In this regard, the community members requested that the regulations regarding the requirements and mechanisms for selecting Ahlul Halli Wal Aqdi (Ahwa) maintain its character as a forum for scholars that relies on the depth of knowledge, exemplary behavior, morals, breadth of devotion, and also recognition of scholars within the Nahdlatul Ulama environment," he said.
He added that the senior clerics were of the view that an approach that placed too much emphasis on structural positions and regional representation had the potential to shift the Ahwa assembly from its essence as a forum for religious scholars to a forum for structural representation.
This, he added, could narrow the space for service of Islamic boarding school scholars who have scientific authority and religious prestige but are not within the organizational structure or are not accommodated in the regional representation scheme.
"So, he thinks that in the long term these steps will weaken, distance or even break the historical ties between NU, Islamic boarding schools and the masyayikh and reduce the function of the ulama as diggers, guardians and providers of direction for the organization. As a result, Nahdlatul Ulama will not run according to the khitah, fikrah and manhaj of the jamiyah itself," he said.
He added that another thing that was discussed was that the masyayikh requested that the existing regulations be stipulated, including not allowing or permitting the highest leader, namely the general chairman, to then serve as an executive and also as an executive.
Regarding the Ahwa election mechanism, he stated that the Ahwa mechanism has not changed, including technical aspects. However, he hopes it will remain unchanged due to historical factors, cultural reinforcements, and other factors.
Meanwhile, one of the senior clerics who attended the meeting, KH Asep Saifuddin Chalim, said that the decision of the clerics was made to emphasize that NU is a big home for Islamic boarding schools.
The caretaker of the Amanatul Ummah Islamic Boarding School in Surabaya added that regarding the election of the Rais Syuriah and Rais 'Aaam, the committee must follow the instructions of the ulama as the owners of the jamiyah, which among other things must follow the decisions of the ulama
"That the masyayikh, the ulama rejected the draft for Ahwa with a zone system, but Ahwa must be representative of ulama. Then rejected that the chairman of PBNU could concurrently hold an executive position. Among other decisions," he said.
