Salahuddin Wahid

Salahuddin Wahid (11 September 1942 – 2 February 2020), colloquially known as Gus Solah, was an Indonesian Islamic scholar and politician. He originated from a Nahdlatul Ulama family, and was the younger brother of Indonesian president Abdurrahman Wahid. He served in the country's People's Consultative Assembly (1998–1999), and as the vice chair of the National Commission on Human Rights (2002–2004). During the 2004 Indonesian presidential election, he became the running mate to Wiranto, though the ticket lost the election.

Early life and family Salahuddin Wahid was born in Jombang, in East Java, on 11 September 1942. His father was Wahid Hasyim, and his grandfather was Hasyim Asy'ari, the founder of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). He attended public schools in Jakarta, graduating from SMPN 1 Cikini and SMAN 1 Jakarta, before obtaining a degree in architecture from the Bandung Institute of Technology. Between 1998 and 1999, Salahuddin served in the People's Consultative Assembly. He also led the fact-seeking teams related to human rights violations during the May 1998 riots and in the Buru camps.

From 2006 until his death, Salahuddin took care of the Tebuireng pesantren, which was founded by his grandfather.

Death In January 2020, Salahuddin underwent an ablation in Harapan Kita Heart Hospital, Jakarta. He was later readmitted to the hospital because he reported problems following the procedure, which required a surgery on 31 January. His condition did not improve after the surgery and he died at 20:55 local time on 2 February. On 3 February, his body was flown to Jombang, where his funeral was held in the afternoon. He was buried in the Tebuireng burial grounds, in the same complex near his parents, grandparents, and his late brother Abdurrahman Wahid.

Views Salahuddin called for NU to avoid politics. He also called for the protection of Ahmadiyya followers–who face persecution in Indonesia–and called for the government to make use of the Constitution and the country's laws rather than Indonesian Ulema Council's fatwas as a point of reference. Salahuddin also stated that while he personally believed that the Ahmadiyya movement was theologically wrong, an organisation could only be disbanded if it violated the laws, and the disbandment must be done through legal means instead of pressure from religious groups.