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was always plagued by internal discord
378 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives
to religious problems after all that Affairs. Wilopo agreed and Fakih Usman
which resulted in the party’s even further Masjumi offered no important positions
decline. 43 to religious scholars. Because it was
extremely dissatisfied with the structural
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
changes that had taken place within
Initially, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), it, the NU finally left the Masjumi and
established in 1926, was an organization established its own independent party.
engaged in social affairs. Fatwa issued As a major organization in Indonesia,
by Hasjim Asj’ari contained the obligation the NU saw that it was not sufficiently
for every Indonesian Muslim to keep up represented in the Masjumi-supported
the Indonesia’s independence which, at cabinet. The Masjumi undeniably
the time, was better known as its Jihad derived its greatest support from the
resolution. In the Revolution Era, the NU Muhammadiyah and the NU, but in all
took a more frontal stance against the cabinet formations, the Muhammadiyah
Dutch, so contrary that it tended to be had always been represented by at least
lenient during the Renville and Linggarjati two persons where as the NU had never
negotiations. In this era the NU and the been represented by more than one.
Masjumi still maintained harmonious Therefore, during the formation of the
relationships and it recognized that the Wilopo cabinet, Kyai Wahab Hasbullah
Masjumi was the only Muslim party and demanded that the post for the Minister
that it should respect it. of Religious Affairs should be given to
However after Revolution Era, the NU the NU. Kyai Wahab also threatened
began to feel disappointed with the that if this demand was not met, the NU
political trends of the Masjumi. It saw would continue the struggle on its own.
the Masjumi had changed strategic However, most of the Masjumi’s leaders
Consultative Assembly into an institution saw the demand as a threat and for that
that only served as an advisory board. reason could not be met. Who would
The NU saw this shift as an attempt become the Minister of Religious Affairs
to turn the Masjumi into a political would be decided by vote involving all
organization that would pay less attention the party leaders and they finally agreed
to propose Kyai Haji Faqih Usman of
43. Yon Machmudi,Profil dan Sejarah Profil Ormas-
Ormas Islam di Indonesia (Jakarta: PKTTI UI, the Muhammadiyah to Wilopo as their
2013), p.34-35. candidate for the Minister of Religious
relationship between the national elites
was appointed. Responding to this in Indonesia increasingly tenuous and
unfavorable decision, on April 5, 1952 politics became increasingly polarized.
in a meeting of the NU Central Board In the early formation of the nation, each
in Surabaya, the NU declared to leave group was involved in its own struggle for
the Masjumi. 44 power and influence. The Islamists group
itself were split between modernists,
This split with in the Masjumi illustrates traditionalists, and fundamentalists. After
the disharmony prevalent among the the fundamentalists, under the influence
parties within the organization. The of the Darul Islam, had failed to achieve
traditionalists’ and the modernists’ their goals and were successfully
backgrounds were also influential and destroyed by central government, both
exacerbated the conflicts between traditionalist and modernist Muslim
them. There was a sense among the groups continued to fortify their
traditionalists that the modernists no parliamentary roles.
longer honored the ‘ulama who belonged At the beginning of his presidency at the
to the traditionalist faction. Members eculy months of the revolution, Soekarno
with a Dutch educational background opened up the possibility for the people
adopted an attitude of superiority towards to establish political parties. Muslims
those who were educated at religious were represented by the Masjumi,
schools. This disharmony continued to PSII, and Perti. In 1952, the NU left
increase and found momentum when
cabinets ministers were appointed. So it the Masjumi and formed its own party.
is reasonable enough that the NU broke Even though Muslim groups formed the
away from the Masjumi after all most majority however, in politics this was not
Masjumi ministerial posts were occupied always the case.The representation of
by Muhammadiyah members. Muslim leaders in KNIP or in government
cabinets were quite limited compared
Political Movement in the Old to that of the nationalist group. Under
Order Period Soekarno, in the first presidential system,
the Islamic groups were only represented
The heated debates between Islamists, by two ministers, namely Abikusno
nationalists, and socialists made the
Tjokroaminoto and Wahid Hasyim.
44. Noer. Partai-Partai Islam ...,p. 86. Although the Masjumi that politically
Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 379