NU STUDIES: Sebuah Upaya Meneguhkan Posisi Penulisnya ...

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INDONESIAN

Volume 13, Number 3,2006

rounr,rnL FoR tsLAMlc sruDtES

Tsr ClasH oF MUsLIMS AND THE SrATE: Waep AND ZAKAT IN posr IxpnpENtENCE INporuEsra Asep Saepudin Jahar

AsssssN4sNT oF

Socnr

AND PoLITICAL

Arrrruoss

IN INDoNESIAN ISIAVIC EOUCENON INSTITUTION Jamhari and Jajat Burhanudin

MEeNmc RnvpAtno, Gxr,nnc Brsan IN DEMAK CENrRar Jave Siti Muawanah ISSN 0215-0492

ITUOH I$LAil{IItA Vol. 13,

n0.3,2006

EDITORIAL BOARD:

M. Quraish Shihab (UIN lakarta) Taufik Abdullah (LIH laknrta)

Nur A, Fadhil Lubis (IAIN Sumatra Lltara) M.C. Ricklefs ( Melbourne Uniaersity) Martin aan Bruinessen (Utrecht Uniz.tersity) lohn R, Bowen (Washington Uniaersity, St. Louis) M. Atho Mudzhar (IAIN Yogyakarta) M. Kamal Hasan (International Islamic lJniaersity, Kuala Lumpur)

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Azyumardi Azra EDITORS Saful Mujani lamhari

lajat Burhanuddin Fu'ad labali Oman Fathurahman

ASSISTANT TO THE EDITORS Heni Nuroni

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ADVISOR Cheyne Scott

ARABIC LANGUAGE ADVISOR Masri Elmahsyar Bidin COVER DESIGNER S. Prinka

STUDIA ISLAMIKA (ISSN 0215-0492) is a journal published by the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, laknrta (ST? DEppEN No. 129/SKDAIEN/PPG/STT/1976). lt specializes in lndonesian lslamic studies in particular, and south-east Asian Islamic studies in general, and is intended to communicate original researches and current issues on the subject. This journal warmly welcomes contributions f-rom scholars of related disciplines

All articles published do not necessarily

represent the aiaus of the journal, or other institutions to which it is affliated. They are solely the uiezus of the authors. The articles contained in this journal haae been refereed by the Board of Editors.

STUDIA ISLAMIKA has

been acuedited by The Ministry of National Education, Republic of lndonesia ns an academic journal (SK Dirjen Dikti No. 23a/DIKTI/2004).

Book Reaieza

NU Studies: Sebuah Upaya Mene guhkan Posisi Penulisnya Mujiburrahman Ahmad Baso, NU Studies: Pergolakan Pemikiran antara Fundamentalisme Islam dan Fundamentalisme Neo-Liberal (Jakarta: Erlangga, 2006), 510 halaman + xxi.

Abstract: In the 1980s, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), zuhich claims the largest number of follozuers any mass organization in lndonesia, decided to leaae the political arena and return to becoming a purely social and religious organization. This important decision is referred to as "The Return to the Plans of 1926", that is, a return to the goals and objectiues for zahich the organization was originally established in L926. Since the early 1980s, NU's ideology deueloped to become more dynamic and open to ideas that originate from outside the country. This book, NU Studies: Pergolaknn P emikir

an antara Eundamentalisme Islam dan

F

undamentalisme N eo-Lib-

eral,looks at this dynamism, particulaily amongst the younger generation of

NU

members.

Although this book is entitled NU Studies, which giaes one the impression that it constitutes an academic study about the ideological deuelopments within NU, it is in fact more so an ffirt on the part of the author to adaocate and strengthen his ozan position and opinions against those who hold opposing ideas, be they zoithin NU or outside of the organization. As a result of this aim, it's not surprising that many contradictions snd inconsistencies haae made their way into the book. This is mainly because the author has employed a strategy of rejecting ideasfromhis oppo-

sition, ofien zuithout basis, whilst promoting his own aiezns zuhich he considers to be appropriate zuith the ideology of Ahlussunnah Waljamaah as held by NU. In summary, the author tries to discredit the opinions of a wide array of academics and scholars zuho haae studied NU, including researchers from the West who hnzte orientalist tendencies, modernist MusIims (namely the likes of Nurcholish Madjid and those who follow his line

517

Studin lslamika, VoL 1.3, No. 3,2006

518

BookReztiew

of thinking), figures from laringan Islsm Liberal (the Libersl lslam Net70ork, or fiL), and Masdar F. Mas'udi (a well-known intellectual in NU circles). In uiticising the aiezos of others, the suthor proaides no euidence or argument zuhatsoeaer regarding just how exactly his study is any better than studies csrried out by resenrchers from outside of NU. What's ironic is that he often makes reference to studies carried out by non-NU scademics, drazning on them as authoritatiae sources.

Further to his criticism of the those outlined aboue, in particular the Western scholars, the author looks at other uiews regarding NU, namely how the organization is aiewed by its own members, whereby NU hss become a subject of discussion by its ozan rather than an object of discussion by outside parties. The author attacks the ideas of lIL, which has gained widespread support amongst the younger generation of NU. In this regards, the author tends to rely on the arguments of NU scholars as opposed to examining criticism and aiaus from other less biased academics outside the organization. The nuthor is highly critical of IIL because of the widely-held perception that the moaement receiaes financial assistance from America and further because of its pro-liberalist economic aiews. Hozueaer, in another respect, his aiews are in line with lIL. This is none the more euident than in regards to the issue of the separation of religion and the stste. This sharing of aiezus is not, though, acknowledged by the suthor. lnstead he simply makes reference to the aiezus of the NU scholar and former president, Abdurrahman Wahid, insisting thnt this separation of religion and the state is part of NU ideology . Interestingly, throughout its long history NU has been known to haae fought for the concept of the Islamic stste and/or the lakarta Charter; this fact, howeuer, is not touched upon by the author. FinaIIy, the author turns the focus of his criticism to two intellectuals, Nurcholish Madjid and Masdnr F. Mas'udi. Because both scholars sre proponents of the unity of religion and the state, and both hold essentialist uiezus of Islam, the author insists that their ideas must be rejected. For him, ideas which are appropriate are those of Abdurahman Wahid, who dffirentiates between the roles of religion and the state, and further does not maintain an essentialist approach in his outlook on Islam, as eztident ftom his ideas on the indigenization of Islam in Indonesia. Whst's of interest here is that the ideas of these three scholars shows mnny similarities, namely because they all reject the idea of an Islamic state. The author of this book, howeuer, neglects these similarities, simply because his aim is purely to show 'differences' in order to promote his own aiezus. Sludia Islamika, Vol.13, No. 3, 2005

Book Reuiern

NU Studies: Sebuah IJpaya Meneguhkan Posisi Penulisnya Mujiburrahman Ahmad Baso, NU Studies: Pergolakan Pemikiran antara Fundamentalisme Islam Fundamentalisme Neo-Liberal (jakarta: Erlangga, 2006), 510 halaman + xxi.

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Stutlia Islamikn. Vol. 13. No. 3.2006

etika pertama kali melihat judul buku karya Ahmad Baso: N U Studies : P er golakan P emikiran antara F undnmentalisme Islam dan Fundamentalisme N eo-Libual, saya membayangkan bahwa

buku ini akan membahas perkembangan dan dinamika pemikiran tokoh-tokoh NU dan/atau rumusan-rumusan pemikiran yang telah ditetapkan oleh NU sebagai organisasi. Tetapi ketika saya mulai membaca buku ini dan membolak-balik halaman demi halaman. bayangan itu menjadi pudar sama sekali. Yang saya temukanbukannya

suatu analisis tentang perkembangan dan dinamika pemikiran di dalam NU, melainkan serpihan-serpihan pemikiran Ahmad Baso sendiri yang satu sama lain tidak koheren bahkan kadang menunjukkan ambiguitas dan kontradiksi. Di sisi lain, buku ini ternyata berhasil mendapatkan perhatian yang luas dari berbagai kalangan. Sejak diterbitkan tahun 2006lalu, buku ini telah didiskusikan di banyak tempat di Indonesia dengan menghadirkan penulisnya sebagai pembicara. Mengapa buku ini berhasil mendapatkan perhatian publik yang cukup luas? Sebelum menjawab pertanyaan ini, mungkin pertanyaan penting yang lebih dulu perlu dijawab adalah: bagaimana kiranya "pembacaan yang pas" terhadap buku ini? Saya kira buku ini lebih tepat dilihat bukan sebagai sebuah kajian tentang NU, melainkan sebagai suatu 'data' atau'fenomena' di lingkungan NU yang perlu dianalisis lebih lanjut. Sebagai seorang anak muda yang pergi ke Jakarta di tahun 1990 dan kemudian aktif di PMII serta bergabung dalam forum-forum diskusi anak muda NU, termasuk di antaranya forum 'Kajian 1.64', Ahmad Baso tentu sangat dipengaruhi oleh pemikiran-pemikiran yang berkembang di kalangan NU setelah ide 'kembali ke khittah 1926' digulirkan pada awal tahun L98O-an. Seperti telah ditunjukkan olehbanyak literatur tentang NU, sejak ide kembali ke khittah itu diputuskan di Muktamar Situbondo L9B4 dan Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) terpilih sebagai Ketua Tanfidziylrah, perkembangan pemikiran di kalangan NU berkembang pesat dan dinamis. Dengan dukungan dan perlindungan dari Gus Dur, anakanak muda NU semakin tekun dan berani membaca dan menyerap ide-ide yang datang dari luar. Ahmad Baso adalah salah seorang di antara mereka, dan ia tumbuh dan berkembang sebagai intelektual muda di tengah-tengah kehidupan keras kota Jakarta. Perkawanan di antara sesama aktifis muda NU tentu telahbanyak membantu Baso untuk bisa suraiae di Jakarta. Namun nampaknya perkawanan itu lambat laun berujung pada persaingan. Buku ini lebih tepat dilihat sebagai wujud dari "kontes wacana" yang terjadi di 521.

Studia Islamlkn, Vol. 13, No. 3, 2005

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