East Java PDIP Chair Hopes NU Congress Strengthens Organization's Moral and Cultural Role

Said Abdullah, Chairman of the East Java branch of the PDI Perjuangan party, has articulated his hopes for the upcoming 35th Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Congress, scheduled for August 27-31, 2026, in Jombang, East Java. He desires the congress to transcend a mere leadership reshuffle, aiming instead to bolster NU's position as a significant moral, spiritual, and cultural force within Indonesian Islam.

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NU can grow so large because it is supported by the kiai and the pesantren community as a subculture.

Abdullah highlighted that NU's enduring resilience, demonstrated over more than a century, stems not solely from its organizational structure but crucially from its extensive network of religious scholars (kiai) and Islamic boarding schools (pesantren). These institutions, he noted, serve as NU's cultural bedrock, organically nurturing and sustaining core values of Islam, Indonesian national identity, tolerance, and local wisdom.

He issued a strong caution against NU becoming overly entangled in the complexities of practical politics, warning that such involvement could lead to a loss of its essential identity. Abdullah specifically advised against allowing the NU's leadership succession process to mirror the pragmatic and transactional nature often associated with political power transitions.

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Don't let NU be tempted by the hustle and bustle of politics. Nor should the succession of NU leadership be carried out like the succession of political leaders who are pragmatic-transactional in nature.

Abdullah views NU as a pivotal entity in the landscape of Indonesian Islam, suggesting its unique ability to harmonize Islamic principles with national realities makes it a global model. "NU is the face of Indonesian Islam, a place where the world can currently look to, because NU is able to present a moderate face of Islam, while also fostering democratic values and even giving birth to a nation-state called Indonesia," he stated.

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NU is the face of Indonesian Islam, a place where the world can currently look to, because NU is able to present a moderate face of Islam, while also fostering democratic values and even giving birth to a nation-state called Indonesia.

He further reminded attendees that NU's leadership tradition has historically been founded upon moral and spiritual exemplars. Drawing parallels to the organization's founders, who engaged in deep spiritual reflection for even minor decisions like determining NU's founding date or designing its logo, Abdullah stressed the importance of continued spiritual grounding for significant organizational matters.

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For something as small as determining when NU was founded and how the NU logo was made, the founders had to undergo spiritual practices and perform sincere inner contemplation to obtain God's pleasure, let alone for big things.