Surabaya (ANTARA) - Indonesia's largest Islamic organization has urged the government to re-negotiate its contracts on the country's mines that have so far been mostly controlled by foreign rather than domestic parties. "NU (Nahdlatul Ulama) will support the government until 2014 if it would help the people. If the government is pro-people NU will support it. But it does not NU has no obligation to support it," NU general chairman KH Said Aqul Siradj said here on Sunday. He made the statement after dedicating a Jihad Resolution National Monument at the Surabaya NU chapter building on Jalan Bubutan, Surabaya, which was the birthplace of the jihad resolution. Before invitees including head of the province's religious affairs ministry office, Sudjak, the son of Bung Tomo, the late independence fighter, Bambang Sulistomo, one of history makers KHA Muchit Muzadi the NU chief said NU would file a judicial review of the gas and oil law to the Constitutional Court in its efforts. "NU has fought for a judicial review of the law on national education and won it. Because of that the government now not only can but must help private educational institutions. So, the government now must also help Islamic schools and boarding schools in line with the Constitutio," he said. He said after the national education law NU would also seek a judicial review on other laws that hurt the people among others the law on oil and gas, the law on agriculture, the law on foundations and others. "Prophet Muhammad himself in its hadits states that water, fire and grass may not be controlled by private parties but must be in the hands of the state. Fire is energy that includes gas, while grass is forests. The Prophet's order is contained in Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution," he said. In view of that, he said, NU would propose to the government to renegotiate its mining contracts with foreign investors that control "water, fire and grass." "The renegotiation should include contract coverage, duration and profit sharing system. Until now we only get three percent of profit from the contracts like with Freeport. Only in one contract we enjoy up to 40 percent of the profit namely with Exxon," he said. Aqil Siradj said NU would become "a friend" for the government if it would conduct renegotation. "If it would not side with the people we would not be its friend," he said. The chief of the advisory board of the Surabaya NU chapter, Dzulhilmi, said on the occasion that the monument signed by Sahal Mahfudh (the chief adviser of NU) and Said Aqil Siradj was not aimed at reenacting history. "We only wish to respect ulemas and motivate the younger generation to continue to fight in line with their era," he said. In view of that he said he asked the NU board to also fight for the inclusion of jihad resolution into school curriculum and the holding of the commemoration of the Heroes' Day in Surabaya and the declaration of the PCNU building as a jihad resolution national monument. "The jihad resolution made by clerics is in essence an edict stating that fighting colonialists is a personal obligation (fardhu ain) while dying in the fight against colonialists is a martyr death and those seeking disunity may be killed," he said. With regard to the demand Said Aqil said he supported it and promised to bring it to the President. "I support it and therefore I would convey it to the President and I would propose KH Wahab Chasbullah to be declared a national hero," he said. (*)


Editor : Edy M Yakub
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