Indonesia
Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is slated to hold a leadership contest to pick its next chair in its upcoming national congress (Muktamar) in Jombang, East Java in late August.
Groups of santri (Islamic boarding school students) hold aloft the flag of Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) as they wait along a road for the presidential motorcade to arrive on June 23, 2026, ahead of the closing ceremony of the NU National Conference of Islamic Scholars and Grand Conference at the Syachona Mohammad Cholil Islamic Institute in Bangkalan, East Java. (Antara/Moch. Asim)
Senior clerics of the country’s largest Islamic organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) have called for a fair and independent leadership contest, warning that political manipulation and backroom deals to sway the poll result could undermine the organization’s credibility.The warning came ahead of NU’s 35th national congress (Muktamar) slated for Aug. 27 to 31 at Tambakberas pesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Jombang, East Java. During the gathering, hundreds of voting delegates from regional branches nationwide will elect the organization’s chair for the next five-year term.
Dozens of senior and influential clerics gathered both in person and virtually on Aug. 20 for a meeting at the NU central board (PBNU) headquarters in Central Jakarta, where they discussed developments and concerns surrounding the upcoming congress.
