Abdurrahman Wahid

On early December 2006, an American expat in Jakarta, a free-lance journalist, emailed me. He requested my little time and put up several questions mostly regarding journalism in Indonesia. As formality, he started with, “I have been impressed by your blog” kind of thing.

One question that I want to share here is regarding Goenawan Mohamad, the man behind the leading Indonesia magazine, Majalah Tempo.

What he asked was “What has Goenawan Mohamad’s contribution to journalism in Indonesia been?”

I thought back then that as a journalist who resides in Indonesia he must have known Goenawan Mohamad (better known as GM)’s crucial role so far as Indonesia journalism goes. So, I gave him an indirect answer which is actually unrelated, yet I considered interesting: GM’s role in introducing Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid in the national level by giving free space to Gus Dur to write whatever he wants in Majalah Tempo during 1970s-1980s before he’s getting busy involved in the largest Muslim organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), and help in a big deal making NU known in not only in national stage but also in international level as well.

Gus Dur took the full advantage of it by writing mostly on pesantren and was compiled into book later entitled Bunga Rampai Pesantren..

The ‘love fest’ relationship between GM and Gus Dur at the time is such that whenever Gus Dur came to Tempo’s office, he just sat down in one of editorial desk, write something he wanted to write and then leave the office without telling any editors or anyone outthere. His piece would surely be published in the next edition. That’s why Nurcholis Madjid in his speech in commemorating the first year of Tempo closure caused by Suharto government’s ban repeatedly mentioned Tempo’s role in introducing Gus Dur, pesantren, NU and hence, Indonesian moderate Muslim and strongly criticised the government’s ban.

Tempo, or Gunawan Mohamad in this matter, therefore has given the Indonesian moderate Muslim symbolized in Gus Dur personality, a launching pad to come to the fore nationally as well as internationally. Since then nothing could stop him, not even his blindness to travel the world over representing Indonesia and Muslims. Interesting to note that during that time, NU (pron. en-uw), were often called with deregotary term like kaum sarungan (people who wear saroong, a traditional clothes worn only by villagers).

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One might not like all of Gus Dur idea which are sometimes controversial from traditional Muslim perspective. But we may agree that he’s one of few, if not the only Indonesian intellectual who are at ease to communicate with everyone: from high ranking officials, foreign diplomats, ulama, intellectuals, businessmaen and other well-healed society to downtrodden under-poverty-line people. He has the capability to be arrogance or humbled whenever necessary.

I admire his never-die spirit and good sense of humor. During his state visit as president to India in early 2000s, he’s been already visually challenged at the time, he told us that he likes Indian film, especially God Mother which was just released. And then he calmly said, “Once my eyes is cured, I would watch it.” Everyone was in laughter knowing that his eyes will never be cured.

He also talked about Bombay (India’s industrial city, now Mumbai) as the only “bomb” that can laugh.

For Englsih readers you can also see some of his jokes here and for Indonesian here.

Picture: Kyai Haji Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid along with some Indonesian students in India in the late 2003–his second visit, the first one as President– on the invitation from Indian Government to deliver a speech on commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi. Photo taken in Hotel Ashok, New Delhi where he stayed during the visit.