Preserving Gus Dur’s Ways
After Idul Fitri prayers at Al Munawaroh Grand Mosque at 7:20 a.m., the family of the late Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid gathered at the home of his wife Sinta Nuriyah and youngest daughter Inayah Wulandari. The Idul Fitri celebration in Ciganjur was not a moment exclusively for family members, as guests from various social classes and beliefs visited the home into the night.
At 8:30 a.m. on the first day of Idul Fitri on Sunday (25/6/2017), the family of the nation’s fourth president was preparing for the sungkeman ritual (kneeling before one’s elders to ask for forgiveness). Inayah and her four older sisters, namely Alisa Qotrunnada, Zanuba Ariffah Chafsoh and Anita Hayatunnufus, along with nine grandchildren, prepared for the ritual in the living room. After she was helped to move from her wheelchair to a sofa, Sinta accepted the sungkem (requests for forgiveness) and warm hugs from her children, children in-law and grandchildren.
later, it was the presidential security details’ turn to ask for forgiveness. Next were housemaids and then guests, comprising members of the extended family, neighbors, acquaintances and a number of religious leaders. That morning, a banthe (Buddhist religious leader) and Indonesian Confucian Women\'s chair, Gianti Setiawan, arrived at the house accompanied by a group of people.
Gianti went to Gus Dur’s house not only to celebrate Idul Fitri but also to help the family prepare meals for an open house. “We often distribute sahur (predawn meals) with Ibu Sinta. Her family is highly pluralist and their togetherness with us is extraordinary. We just want to share with others as best as we can,” Gianti said.
Indonesia Confucianism High Council chair Uung Sendana said he considered Gus Dur and Sinta as his parents. “Respecting elders and maintaining the bonds of friendship must be a tradition or a value that we must maintain for generations. It helps preserve the people’s and the nation’s unity,” Uung said.
Indonesian Catholic Businesspeople\'s Council (Perduki) spiritual affairs coordinator Suwandi and his family also visited Gus Dur’s house. Suwandi said he became close to Gus Dur’s family five years ago after becoming involved in Sinta’s efforts to distribute sahur in several regions. “It’s like visiting my own home. Despite our different beliefs, we have the same dream of championing Pancasila, especially in recent times, and safeguarding the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), the 1945 Constitution and the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity),” Suwandi said.
Besides religious leaders and neighbors, veteran politician Akbar Tandjung also visited the home to join in the celebration. The variety of guests was reflected in the variety of dishes served that day, including opor ayam (chicken curry), nasi liwet (coconut rice dish), chicken satay, pempek (fish cakes) and nasi kuning (yellow rice) and es doger, es buah drinks. There were also various local snacks, such as kue bolue, kue kering, rengginang and dodol. Food vendors with carts served the pempek, satay and meatball dishes. “This morning, I prepared 800 portions and nothing was left by midday. I am preparing another 800 portions now,” said meatball seller Jumarianto, 49.
Pluralism a la Gus Dur
Gus Dur’s four daughters took turns in accompanying their mother in receiving guests all day long. Inayah took the first turn from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. It was from Gus Dur that Inayah learned to appreciate differences and to treat others as equals. She also inherited Gus Dur’s unique sense of humor.
At Lebaran, an atmosphere of pluralism is deeply felt in Gus Dur’s home. Why are so many of the guests of different beliefs?
Gus Dur always said that this is everyone’s home. I prefer having many brothers and sisters, instead of just complaining all the time or having contentious relationships. I prefer having fun and joking around. For me, Lebaran portrays what we have achieved during Ramadhan. We are told to do as much good as possible. Doing good deeds does not mean exclusively for Muslims. Doing good deeds means doing good deeds, period!
Religion has become a source of contention. Learning from Gus Dur, what solution is there to the current situation?
This is a terribly complex issue. Perhaps it is a mixture of economic injustice and the lack of law enforcement. Everything overlaps. There are groups that abuse such a situation for personal gain. Some want to change Indonesia\'s ideology. These efforts did not begin yesterday; they have been going on for years or even decades. You cannot expect instant remedies. This is difficult.
However, efforts must still be made. Efforts cannot be unilateral but must be holistic. Welfare must be improved and education reformed. We must not add more burden but instead improve what already exists. Education must empower people. For me, education in Indonesia has yet to empower students.
What aspects can lead to the emergence of pluralists like Gus Dur?
Pluralists can emerge under any circumstances or approaches. For instance, using the religious approach. Religious leaders spread religion in the context of peace and good relations. Currently, many religious leaders spread hatred. If sermons are not started from a viewpoint of peace, people like Gus Dur will not emerge.
It is also possible from a cultural approach. Culture has a significant role. For me, the thing that made Gus Dur and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) leaders tolerant and flexible is NU’s culture of jagongan (sitting together and talking) and joking around. In the current condition, people anger easily. Religious sermons prioritize hatred instead of love. People are involved in religions not in the context of love for God.
Humor as power
As Gus Dur’s youngest daughter, Inayah was really close to her father. Remembering Inayah during Gus Dur’s presidency, people will recall her unique style with her constantly changing hair color. Gus Dur’s unique sense of humor is clearly seen in Inayah today. Apart from her activity as founder of a "happiness movement" that involves youths, Inayah also dabbles in acting and is in the cast of sitcom OK-Jek. She is also active in the Greenpeace environmental movement.
Does your humor and wit come from Gus Dur?
Gus Dur was a person highly skilled in telling jokes. Making people laugh is difficult. You need to be highly skilled. You need to understand which words to emphasize and how to hook your audience. What I learned was that Gus Dur used it as a power to spread his ideas. People will not get angry once you “kick” them. Gus Dur saw humor as a power and I learned that from him. I learned to sort the things I can satirize with humor. I observe with humor and people receive that well. Compare this to serious discussions. When NU clerics give sermons, the audience laughs continuously. Laughing at oneself is a skill. It makes us more critical. People need to be open. NU clerics are adept at this. It makes us more critical. People need to be more open and, as such, tolerance will be easier to practice. The NU is very powerful in this aspect. I see that as a power.
You hear many bizarre and funny stories about NU clerics. I learn from all of them. My father was the type of person who learned from anyone and anywhere. He told me to listen to dangdut music. According to him, if you want to learn about people, listen to their music. You do not need to like it but you need to listen. Gus Dur was highly skilled in listening to the people. Our home is open to everyone even at 4 a.m. Gus Dur listened to the people most of his life. He never cared about superficial things, that was what I learned. He treated everyone equally, only with different approaches.
What was behind your decision to dye your hair when Gus Dur was president?
I was an impulsive person. Whatever I wanted to do, I did. I did not think. Sometimes, this landed me in trouble. I did not think about the risk. I was just 16. What I wanted to show was that being a president’s daughter did not have to be sacred or formal. (Today, Kaesang -- President Joko Widodo\'s youngest son -- does this as well, doesn’t he? Ha, ha, ha I love having a successor.) I thought, why do people have to be so rigid? It annoyed me. Just relax. My father did this as well. He created an environment where even the palace guards did not have to be so stiff. Everyone was more relaxed.
Is it a burden being Gus Dur’s daughter? KH Wahid Hasyim’s granddaughter? KH Hasyim Asy’ari’s great granddaughter? All of them were exemplary figures.
Ha, ha, ha … Well, that\'s true. For me, the greatest burden is to be human. To live. People watch what we do. For instance, Gus Dur was called a pluralist not because he said he was one but because people called him that. In their minds, they had their personal thoughts about Gus Dur. The big problem is, is when they transfer these thoughts to Gus Dur’s children. I am Inayah, not Gus Dur. Sometimes, I make nothing but mistakes. I have my own way of thinking and behavior. [People think] why does Gus Dur’s daughter behave like this? This is a huge burden.
The first time I was on television, people questioned me. I chose to compromise for more than a dozen years. I played in theaters and then I stopped. Finally, I just decided that this is my life. I am the one living it, not them. If I am stressed, will it be their burden? I chose to do this. If anyone does not agree with me, let them. Oh, this is what Father would do. For him and for Grandfather Wahid and Grandfather Hasyim, they have a higher conscience and, thus, a higher responsibility.
In theater, we can be anyone and it can teach us many things. Mankind is diverse. We learn to understand one another, for me, through literature, the arts or the theater. Gus Dur never labeled other people as bad. Hate the sin, love the sinner. They are just humans. They just make the choices that they consider the best at the time.
Are you serious about a future in acting?
I am shooting three times a week. What’s important for me is not the money. I do not wish to leave acting behind. I can\'t imagine just staying quiet. I have a dream of returning to school. I believe that education opens important roads in life. I have a dream to create an inclusive and egalitarian school, based on humanitarianism and empowering children. This is my big dream and I will not leave this behind.
(MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO, MAWAR KUSUMA)