Hasyim Muzadi

Achmad Hasyim Muzadi (8 August 1944 – 16 March 2017) was an Indonesian Islamic scholar and cleric who served as chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama, from 1999 to 2010. The founder and director of the Al-Hikam Islamic boarding school, he was a proponent of moderate Islam, which he defined as being neither radical nor liberal, and criticized both Islamic fundamentalism and Islamic liberalism. Hasyim was the vice presidential running mate of President Megawati Sukarnoputri in the 2004 Indonesian presidential election, though the ticket was defeated in a runoff. He subsequently served in the Presidential Advisory Council from 2015 until his death.

Early life and education

Hasyim was born on 8 August 1944 in Tuban, East Java, then occupied by Japan. His father's name was Muzadi and his mother's Rumyati.

As Islamic cleric and scholar Al-Hikam Islamic boarding school He founded the Al-Hikam Islamic boarding school (pesantren) in Lowokwaru, Malang, East Java, in March 1992.

When Gus Dur was about to be removed from his position as President, the NU masses in East Java threatened that if Gus Dur were removed, they would attack Jakarta. A number of Golkar offices in East Java were burned down. The trees were felled and placed across the main road along Pasuruan towards Banyuwangi.

In 2004, he co-founded the International Conference of Islamic Scholars with Hassan Wirajuda, an Indonesian diplomat and former foreign minister.

Initially, Gus Dur's good relationship with Hasyim became strained after at the PKB National Working Meeting in 2003, Hasyim's name was also mentioned as one of the party's presidential candidates. Gus Dur rolled out the issue of the NU Extraordinary Congress. The kiai, according to Gus Dur, said they were disappointed and dissatisfied with the performance of the NU Executive Board led by Hasyim. He tried to suppress the news of the feud with Gus Dur. Hasyim is also not sure that PKB intends to seriously support him as a presidential candidate. As the 2004 presidential elections approached, the common ground between Wahid and Hasyim became clearer.PKB ran with Wahid as the candidate for President of the Republic of Indonesia, but Wahid failed to contest the 2004 presidential election for health reasons. Hasyim was then proposed by Megawati Sukarnoputri to become his companion through the PDI-P. Hasyim will run without Gus Dur's blessing and without the PKB.

In 2004, he was the running mate of the incumbent president Megawati Sukarnoputri in Indonesia's first direct presidential election.

In the 2014 presidential election, he joined the campaign team of Joko Widodo who was later elected president.

Views Hasyim was a proponent of moderate Islam, which he defined as being neither radical nor liberal. Fighting Islamic fundamentalism was one of his goals in founding Al-Hikam. The organization has identified students who harbor "strong religious sentiments but who have yet to receive solid religious training" as being "particularly susceptible to fundamentalism". It views the traditional teaching of pesantren and historical interpretations of the great Islamic scholars as tempering factors to combat extremism.

On the other hand, Hasyim disagreed with liberal Islam because of its tendency to "permit (make halal) all things", and criticized the youth of NU for being "more like Westerners in viewing Islam and tradition" because of their Western funding and training. Despite the disagreement, he did not call for liberal thought to be banned, and said that proper forums must be had to debate controversial issues in the community.

During the US invasion of Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11 attacks, Hasyim rejected calls in Indonesia to recruit members of NU for a jihad in Afghanistan. According to him, "jihad does not always mean holy war; efforts to develop Islam and the Muslim ummah are also called jihad". He said that the September 11 attacks were a "tragedy of humanity, not a tragedy of religion" and should not be turned into a religious conflict.

Illness and death In January 2017, the 72-year old Hasyim suffered from exhaustion after he had traveled to several places in Indonesia, directly after his return from a trip to Australia. He was treated at the Lavalette Hospital in Malang 6–17 from January, and then discharged in a stable condition. On 11 March, he was readmitted to the hospital. He was discharged on 13 March because he had chosen to recover at his house, against the recommendation of the hospital. The President of Indonesia Joko Widodo flew to Malang to visit him on 15 March. Vice President of Indonesia Jusuf Kalla led the funeral procession. Hasyim's body was escorted by military and police personnel, members of Islamic organisations, and students of Al-Ihram in a military-style funeral starting at 16.15, local time.