PBNU Organizes Commemoration of National Santri Day

Jakarta, Oct 22 (Antara) - The executive board of the Nahdlatul Ulama organization (PBNU) organized the commemoration of the National Santri (Islamic boarding school students) Day 2016, at the National Monument Square here Saturday.

"Today, NU families and the people of Indonesia are marking the event to commemorate the service of clerics in defending Indonesia's independence from being undermined by colonizers," PBNU general chairman Said Aqil Siradj said in his speech at the event.

A number of Islamic mass organizations, inter-faith organizations, santris from various pesantrens (Islamic boarding schools), public figures and other community elements attended the commemoration.

The struggle of santris in the early period of Indonesian independence could be actualized in the present era in the form of rejecting terrorism, radicalism, extremism, and fighting poverty and narcotics, Siradj said.

The National Santri Day is observed to commemorate the issuance of the Jihad Resolution by NU founder Hasyim Asy'ari to defend Indonesian independence.

The resolution was introduced on October 22, 1945, in Surabaya, East Java, to prevent the return of the Dutch through NICA (Netherland Indies Civil Administration) allied forces to again control of Indonesia that had declared its independence on August 17, 1945.

Indonesia could hardly have freed itself from colonial rule if santris had not taken up arms to fight the colonialists following the issuance of the Jihad Resolution, he said.

"The trigger of the Jihad Resolution is the command of Hasyim Asy'ari (stating) that there was an obligation to defend the country against the NICA¿s soldiers," he said. (*)
Reported by Anom Prihantoro