Indonesia: National Santri Day honors heroes, says PBNU

Jombang, The Gulf Observer: The government’s stipulation of National Santri Day was not solely based on its appreciation of Islamic school students’ role in the independence struggle, as outlined in Presidential Decree No. 22 issued on October 15, 2015, the Nahdlatul Ulama leader, Yahya Cholil Staquf, said in Jombang, East Java, on Saturday.

According to him, just like other national days, Santri Day is a celebration of the services and the example set by heroes.

“National Santri Day is celebrated as a momentum to remember the heroism of the entire Indonesian nation, not just one particular group. Santri Day must be truly understood, lived, and upheld as the day of the entire Indonesian nation without exception,” he said.

National Santri Day was set to mark the 70th anniversary of the Jihad Resolution, which was dedicated in honor of the services rendered by the ulama, he added.

National Santri Day is not celebrated to demand retribution from the state for Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization.

“Because those who contributed to (fighting for) the independence of the Indonesian state were not the present generation, not us, but the great heroes of the 1945 Generation,” he said.

Nahdlatul Ulama also thanked President Joko Widodo for establishing Santri Day as a national day.

“We are grateful to the government, to President Joko Wdodo who has designated Santri Day as one of the national days. As a tribute to the services of the heroes from the kiai and santri circles,” he said.

The Nahdlatul Ulama executive board held the 2022 Santri Day National Call at Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School, Jombang district, on Saturday.

The event, which was conducted in a hybrid format, was joined by the managements of Nahdlatul Ulama across Indonesia as well as students from their respective regions.

Following the event, the participants took a tour of Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School. The Nahdlatul Ulama general management delegation and some guests also visited a graveyard located on the school’s premises.

The graveyard holds the tomb of the founder of the Nahdlatul Ulama, K.H. Hasyim Asy’ari; K.H. Wahid Hasyim, a national figure; former president K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid; and a number of their relatives.