Zainul Arifin

Kyai Haji Zainul Arifin (né Pohan; born 2 September 1909 – 2 March 1963) was an Indonesian politician who served as deputy prime minister of Indonesia, 2nd speaker of the DPR, and a leading figure of the Nahdlatul Ulama.

Biography

Childhood and education

Zainul Arifin was born as the only child of a descendant of the king of Barus, Sultan Raja Barus Tuangku Ramali bin Sultan Alam Sahi Pohan, and a woman of Kotanopan noble origin, Mandailing, Siti Baiyah boru Nasution. Zainul was a toddler when his parents divorced and he was brought by his mother to Kotanopan, then to Kerinci, Jambi. There, he began his education at Hollands Indische School (HIS). In addition, Zainul Arifin also received a religious education in mosques and Madrasas while also undergoing the traditional martial arts training of Pencak Silat. After graduating from HIS, Zainul continued his education at Normaal School, a middle school for future teachers. Arifin was also very artistic and was once active in the Malay musical theater, Stambul Bangsawan or "Musical Theater of the aristocrats". On stage, Arifin took roles as a singer and violinist. Stambul Bangsawan itself is the beginning of the development of opera theater of modern Indonesian performing arts. At the age of 16, Zainul Arifin then migrated to Batavia (Jakarta).

From Gemeente to GP Ansor

In Batavia, Zainul used his HIS diploma to apply for work at the colonial township government (Gemeente) as a clerk in the water company in Jakarta. There he worked for five years before finally being laid off when the Great Depression impacted the Dutch East Indies in the 1930s.

As a member of ANSOR, Arifin underwent ANSOR religious training preparing youths to become future Islamic preachers. Zainul's expertise in delivering speeches, debating, and preaching in Dutch and English had caught the attention of leaders of the Nahdlatul Ulama, including Wahid Hasyim, Mahfouz Siddiq, Muhammad Ilyas, and Abdullah Ubaid. In just a few short years, Zainul had become chairman of the Jatinegara Chapter of NU. Later, he was appointed the Head of NU Consul in Batavia, until the arrival of the Japanese army in 1942 during its invasion of the Dutch East Indies. Zainul Arifin eventually died on 2 March 1963 after sustaining the gunshot wound for ten months.