Nilma Yola 1*, Mufti Ulil Amri 2*, Lukmanul Hakim3
123UIN Imam Bonjol Padang
*Email: nilmayola@uinib.ac.id
Abstract
This research aims to explore the role of Fatayat NU West Sumatra
during three different leadership periods, namely Khadijah
Mawardi, Husna Aziz, and Siti Izzati Aziz. The research method used
is the historical method, which includes the stages of heuristics,
source criticism, synthesis, and preparation of reports based on the
results of data analysis. The results showed that during the
leadership of Khadijah Mawardi, Fatayat NU did not show
significant movement, especially because at the same time there was
monoloyalty to the Golkar Party in the New Order era. Furthermore,
during the leadership of Husna Aziz, the role of Fatayat NU began to
increase and was recognised by the wider community, especially
through cooperation with the Ministry of Religion and UNICEF.
However, during the leadership of Siti Izzati Aziz, there was a
setback due to her focus on preparing to run as a legislative candidate
from one of the political parties at that time.
INTRODUCTION
After the NU Congress in Palembang in 1952, Fatayat NU was recognised as an
autonomous organisation under NU. Then, the organisation began to expand its network
to other areas in Sumatra Island, such as Palembang, North Sumatra, Jambi, and Lampung.
Furthermore, the expansion also included Kalimantan and other regions, until finally 70
branches were formed in various regions during the 10-year period from 1950 to 1960. As
there was no Fatayat NU branch in West Sumatra, NU officials in the region took the
initiative to establish Fatayat NU management there.
Since NU announced its withdrawal from Masyumi in 1952, it was a tragedy that
shook the politics of Muslims at that time. Initially, Masyumi was established with the aim
of combining the political aspirations of Muslims through political parties in parliament.
The majority of supporters of the Masyumi Party were members of the NU organisation.
However, when NU withdrew, it certainly caused an uproar among the party's supporters.
As a result, the Masyumi Party lost support from NU's traditional Muslim group.
The background to NU's decision to leave the Masyumi Party was a difference of
opinion in the late 1940s. This was related to the declining role of the ulama in the political
party, where previously, the position of the Shuro Council previously given to the NU had
undergone changes in its rights and authority by the party management.(Yola, 2014) This
was the forerunner of the establishment of Fatayat NU in West Sumatra in order to gain
votes in the second election in 1971.(Maidir Harun, 2021)
‘That I still remember, when NU began to join, initially there was only
Muslimat NU, then after the election Fatayat NU appeared.’
‘In the 70s, as the 1971 elections approached, Fatayat NU was formed. The
aim was to expand the scope of NU. At that time NU was still active in
politics."
What this means is that, based on the results of the first election in 1955, although
the NU Party was the fourth winner of the election, in West Sumatra the NU Party did not
win a single seat from NU representatives. Meanwhile, the Masyumi Party, which was a
‘political opponent’ at that time, obtained several seats in parliament from West Sumatra.
Seeing Masyumi's significant strength in West Sumatra, NU felt the need to participate and
gain support from the community, especially in the context of the next general election. In
this case, the concept of political marketing expressed by Nursal can be applied. NU
planned a series of activities with a long-term focus. They utilised a marketing approach to
build effective relationships with constituents and the wider community. (Taufik
Nurrohman & Moh. Ali A, 2013) Through its cadres in West Sumatra, NU hopes to gain a
strong position and great support from the community.
Another view of the origin of Fatayat NU in West Sumatra was given by Armaidi
Tanjung, a young NU figure who was active in the West Sumatra NU. According to his
understanding, he discovered the presence of Fatayat NU around the 1980s, when he began
to be the board of GP Anshor West Sumatra. However, he does not have definite
information about official documents that mark the beginning of Fatayat NU's presence in
West Sumatra. The following is an explanation conveyed by him to the author:
"I do not have specific information about when Fatayat NU started operating in West
Sumatra. Regarding the reason why Fatayat NU came late to West Sumatra, I also
cannot provide an explanation. I first met the Chairperson of Fatayat NU in the
management period of the 1980s. Currently, that person is in Jakarta and can be
contacted for further information. That is the amount of information I have."
" I joined GP Anshor in 1989, and at that time Fatayat NU already existed. GP Anshor
itself has been operating in West Sumatra since the 1950s."(Armaidi Tanjung, 2021)
From this story, there is no definite answer from the former GP Anshor board at
that time. Perhaps when the informant joined the GP Anshor organisation, he had seen the
existence of the Fatayat NU organisation in West Sumatra. It is possible that Fatayat NU
already existed before 1989 in West Sumatra.
Based on the opinions of the two NU figures, the author estimates that since 1971
Fatayat NU has begun to germinate in West Sumatra, but because the management ignores
the proof of the management decree (SK), until now there is no definite document
regarding the certainty of it.
Apart from the issue of official documents, what is certain is that since the 1970s
Fatayat NU has set foot in West Sumatra, as it is known that the region is inhabited by most
people who think with modernity. Since the reform of the education system in the 19th
century, the people of West Sumatra have advanced in terms of mindset in every line of
life.
Then, what about the leadership of Fatayat NU in West Sumatra, are they accepted
with open arms, or even get rejection? Then, how did the Fatayat NU board carry out its
organisational movement from the New Order period to the early Reformation?
RESEARCH METHODS
This type of research uses the Historical research method, by going through four
stages namely Heuristics, source criticism, data analysis and finally writing research
results. The research technique also uses the interview method with figures related to the
NU, Muslimat and Fatayat NU West Sumatra organisations who are still alive and their
colleagues who can be asked for information as witnesses to related history.
Some of the figures the author interviewed were Husnun Aziz as Chairman of GP
Anshor in the 1970s, Azizah Aziz as Secretary of Fatayat NU in the 1980s. In addition,
interviews were also conducted with Armaidi Tanjung, an NU figure and senior journalist
who wrote a lot about NU in West Sumatra, and others.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
After entering West Sumatra, NU did not immediately become a well-known
organisation to the community, especially the autonomous body of NU itself. This was
mainly because West Sumatra already had an influential organisation, Perti (Persatuan
Tarbiyah Islamiyah), which was founded on 5 May 1928 in Candung, Bukittinggi, on the
initiative of Sheikh Sulaiman Ar-Rasuli, Sheikh Abbas, and Sheikh Muhammad Djamil
Djaho.
Perti is a traditionalist organisation based in rural, agrarian and Islamic boarding
schools in West Sumatra. They uphold the Shafi'i Mazhab and refer to the books and
beliefs of Ahlusunnah wal-jamaah. The establishment of this organisation was triggered
by conflicts of thought and differences of opinion between the older and younger ulama,
especially in matters of Fiqh, Tariqah, and others. These conflicts were often presented
through oral and written discussions, the results of which were documented in several
print media.
In an effort to demonstrate their existence, the old guard also began to publish
magazines such as al-Mizan, Ar-Radd wa al-Mardud, and others. This was aimed at
showing the superiority of the older scholars in scientific debate, just as the younger
ones had done. Seeing these dynamics, Sheikh Sulaiman Ar-Rasuli initiated a meeting
with other elders. An agreement was reached to establish the Madrasah Tarbiyah
Islamiah (MTI) in 1930, which then united the old ulama in an organisation called Perti.
Although the organisation expanded to areas such as Jambi, Tapanuli, Bengkulu, Aceh,
West Kalimantan and South Sulawesi, its strongest influence remained in West
Sumatra.(Kementerian Penerangan, 1954)
The Perti organisation is in line with NU in tradition and scholarship, both
adhering to the Ahlu Sunnah wal-Jamaah school of thought and following the four
Imams of the madhhab. Over time, Perti also decided to establish its own political party,
the Tarbiyah Islamiah Party. The similarities in culture, ideology and school of thought
between NU and Perti may be one of the reasons for NU's acceptance in West Sumatra,
as they felt they had something in common in their movements. In addition, the
friendliness of West Sumatran society towards immigrants also opened up
opportunities for NU and its autonomous organisations to mix in West Sumatra.
NU and Perti have similar beliefs, namely following ahlusunnah waljamaah, and
this similarity in beliefs is evident from the following statement. Sahirin said that:
" Not surprisingly, the Perti organisation, which calls itself an adherent of
Ahlusunnah wal Jamaah and the Syafii school of thought, has many
interesting aspects to explore."(Sahirin, 2020)
Nonetheless, in situations where two organisations have almost the same things
in common, one of the two is likely to become more dominant while the other may lag
behind. The same applies to Perti and NU. At that time, Perti's influence was still quite
strong, and the presence of NU did not disrupt their presence in West Sumatra so there
was no social jealousy between the two, in other words, the level of social discontent
was low. If the main organisation is already well accepted in the community,
introducing its women's organisation (Fatayat NU) will not be a difficult thing to
do.(Suwarno, 2001) It can be observed that both the long-established Perti in West
Sumatra and the newly established NU have similar basic principles. Therefore, the
presence of NU in West Sumatra did not threaten the existence of pre-existing
organisations.
In addition to the two factors mentioned above, it is also important to recognise
the role of figures who played a major role in NU in West Sumatra. Some of the figures
who bear witness to the history of NU in West Sumatra include highly respected
individuals in the area, such as H. Abdul Aziz Sholeh Tuanku Mudo, H. Tuanku
Bagindo Mohammad Leter, H. Abdul Razak Tuanku Mudo, Buya KH. Mansur Dt.
Nagari Basa, and others.
These figures are not ordinary people, they are highly respected figures in West
Sumatra and have great influence in the community. Their presence alone has a strong
attraction, similar to a magnet that draws people to join NU. Thus, from the above
explanation, it can be seen that the presence of NU and its autonomous organisations in
West Sumatra from the beginning did not cause rejection from pre-existing
organisations or from the local community.(Nilma Yola, 2023)
Firstly, the author will discuss Fatayat NU during the period of Khadijah Mawardi,
which lasted from 1971 to 1982. Khadijah Ismail, who was the first Fatayat NU Chairperson
in West Sumatra, was a lecturer at the Faculty of Tarbiyah IAIN Imam Bonjol Padang and
a foundation administrator at STAI-YAPTIT Pasaman Barat. Her husband, Mawardi
Nasution, was also a West Sumatra NU official at the time.
1. Khadijah Ismail1
As is customary for Fatayat NU in Java, the Fatayat NU board was first chosen from
the closest circle or relatives of NU administrators. This decision was made through
deliberation and consensus between the West Sumatra NU, Muslimat, and GP Anshor
Regional Administrators, as well as several other NU activists. Khadijah Ismail was then
chosen to be the first Fatayat NU Chairperson in West Sumatra. However, during this
period, Fatayat NU did not experience significant development for a decade, or often called
‘suspended animation’. Coupled with the enactment of the obligation of monoloyalty to
the Golkar Party during the Orde Baru regime.(Syafrizal, 2020) Khadijah Ismail allegedly
served as Chairperson of Fatayat NU West Sumatra from around 1971 to the 1980s, which
ended at the same time as Husna Aziz's leadership continued.
The vacuum of Fatayat NU activities in West Sumatra coincided with the vacuum
of Fatayat NU management nationally, as previously explained. The lack of figures who
led and directed Fatayat NU during that period caused no development or work
programme to be seen during that period.
Further information about Khadijah Ismail's leadership period is not available, and
the last information obtained states that she died in 2016. However, information from one
of her relatives, Dra. Putrina, a retired IAIN Imam Bonjol employee, confirms that Khadijah
Ismail in 1970 was domiciled in Padang City as a lecturer at the Faculty of Tarbiyah IAIN
Imam Bonjol Padang. This corroborates the fact that in 1971, Khadijah Ismail did serve as
the head of Fatayat NU while carrying out her teaching duties on campus. However, there
is no further information about Khadijah Ismail's involvement in the Fatayat NU
organisation.
Second, during Husna Aziz's time Fatayat NU began to rise and develop. Based on
her story to the author, Husna Aziz was initially only included as the regional secretary of
Fatayat NU West Sumatra during the leadership of Khadijah Mawardi. This was because
she was the daughter of NU West Sumatra leader Buya Bagindo Aziz, but during that time
she did not know anything about the running of the Fatayat NU organisation, aka she was
not active in the organisation. According to her memories, around the 1980s, she was reelected
as Chairperson to replace Khadijah Ismail, along with the visit of PP Fatayat NU
officials who brought the responsibility to run the PKHA Project by Fatayat NU
administrators who were active in the region. The project must be carried out by active
Fatayat NU administrators, while Khadijah Ismail's management period has been
vacuumed. Therefore, she was appointed as a replacement for Khadijah Ismail as the
Chairperson of Fatayat NU. The inauguration of the new board was held in the evening at
Muaro Hotel, followed by the initiation procession. Initially, Husna refused to accept the
role of the board, but the NU central board who came continued to persuade her until she
finally agreed. (Nilma Yola, 2023)
2. Husna Aziz
Husna Aziz was appointed as the Chairperson of Fatayat NU also because of her
position as the daughter of an NU figure in West Sumatra. When PP Fatayat NU visits West
Sumatra, they will definitely visit the NU secretariat office, which happens to be located in
the pavilion where her family lives, which was used by her father as the office of the NU
Secretariat and its banom at that time. Instead of looking for another candidate, it was more
practical to directly appoint a relative from the West Sumatra NU board, which would
certainly be approved by the NU figure.
To assist Husna Aziz in running the programme assigned by the central Fatayat NU
PP, her younger sister, Azizah Aziz, who was still young at the time, was appointed as the
person who would help her run the organisation as well as the cooperation project.
Moreover, with the young pregnancy she was facing, it was not possible for her to move
too actively, for the safety of the foetus in her womb.(Husna Aziz, 2021)
To start the first step, Fatayat NU West Sumatra collaborated with GP Anshor to
expand their presence in various regions. As a result, several Fatayat NU branches were
formed, such as PC Fatayat NU Padang Pariaman Regency, PC Fatayat NU Bukittinggi
Regency, PC Fatayat NU Agam, PC Fatayat NU Payakumbuh, PC Fatayat NU 50 Kota
Regency, PC Fatayat NU Sawahlunto Sijunjung Regency, PC Fatayat NU Padang, and PC
Fatayat NU Pasaman.
At the beginning of the establishment of Fatayat NU, the branches that were formed
were not yet active in activities. The management was taken from the daughter of the local
NU board. After the board was elected and inaugurated, the socialisation of the PKHA
program began to each management, while introducing Fatayat NU to the community.
At that time, Fatayat NU, Muslimat NU, and GP Anshor supported each other in
the implementation of activities because there was still a lack of human resources who were
ready to go directly to the field. The lack of interest of the younger generation is also a
challenge in developing the organisation.
Their enthusiasm in building branches in various regions is very high. In fact, they
are willing to stay at the home of local NU administrators during socialisation. Personal
approach and support from the Muktasyar PWNU also helped smooth their affairs in the
regions, leading to the establishment of new branches.(Nilma Yola, 2021)
During this period, moderator training was also conducted for field officers
implementing the PKHA programme. Based on the 1983 Statistical Report, infant and
under-five mortality rates in Indonesia were relatively high, reaching 90.3 per thousand
births for infants and 17.8 per thousand for under-fives. However, census results in 1985
showed a decline in infant mortality to 7.5 per thousand births. This decline was supported
by health programmes implemented by the government with the help of relevant officials.
In order for the officials involved to work effectively in the field, they need to be
equipped with adequate knowledge. Therefore, before going to the community, Fatayat
NU as the implementer of this activity held a motivator training. This training was held at
Wisma B.K.K.B.N DATI I West Sumatra, Jalan Khatib Sulaiman No.1 on 18-21 October 1987.
This training is a continuation of the cooperation programme in the Child Survival Project
between the Indonesian government and UNICEF in 1985/1989, as stated in the letter of
Assistance Agreement which has been signed for the second year.(Aziz, 1987)
The objective of the training is to provide motivation to implement immunisation
and diarrhoea control programmes. The training participants, 50 in total from 8 regional
branches, will be equipped with the necessary knowledge to enable them to become
effective motivators in the community. The participants come from various regions such as
Padang, Pariaman, Agam, Payakumbuh, Bukittinggi, Sawahlunto/Sijunjung, Pasaman,
and District 50 Kota.
This activity was funded by UNICEF, the Provincial Government, and Fatayat NU
West Sumatra. The Child Survival Project (PKHA), which is carried out in collaboration
with NGOs, is expected to provide benefits to the community, especially for those who
have children and toddlers. This is especially important for people living in areas that are
difficult to reach by health services. This motivator training is part of the support provided
to run the PKHA programme initiated by UNICEF, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and
executed by Fatayat NU. Those were some of the activities that were quite large and broad
in scope carried out by Fatayat NU in West Sumatra during Husna Aziz's time. Then, the
management period ended and the leadership changed to Siti Izati Aziz, the younger sister
of Husna and Azizah Aziz.
Third, during her leadership period, there was no visible development of the Fatayat
NU organisation as before. She was more inclined to continue what had been pioneered by
her two older siblings. Although she did not get permission from her husband to be active
in organisational activities, at the request of her mother to replace her sister, Husna Aziz,
she decided to follow her wishes as a form of obedience to her parents.
3. Siti Azizah Aziz
In addition, she was preparing to run for the West Sumatra Provincial Parliament.
Most of her focus was on preparing to enter politics. This may have caused her to focus less
on developing the Fatayat NU organisation as her two sisters had done before.
However, in 1991, during Siti Izzati's inactive leadership, her father, Buya Aziz,
began to look for solutions to make Fatayat NU active again. He saw leadership potential
in his granddaughter, Jusmaniar, who often visited his house in Padang City. So, Jusmaniar
was invited to participate in NU activities and began to learn about the Fatayat NU
organisation. When the position of Chairperson of Fatayat NU Padang City was vacant,
Jusmaniar was appointed as Chairperson of Fatayat NU Padang City because of her
experience in organising in Padang City and the assumption that without the existence of
an active branch, the region would have no meaning. Although at the same time she also
served as PAW for the Fatayat NU Regional Board, this is where Jusmaniar began to
continue the struggle of Fatayat NU in West Sumatra. She served as a Fatayat NU board
member only until 1999, because her parents began to get sick and she was required to
serve her parents in the village. Since then, the echo of Fatayat NU in West Sumatra has not
been heard anymore. Structurally they still exist, but the movement is no longer visible.
CONCLUSIONS
Fatayat NU was initially present in West Sumatra with the aim of contributing to
the number of votes in the second election in 1971 by the NU Party. However, in reality,
the NU Party experienced a change in direction as an organisation that focused more on
service to the ummah, so in 1971, the NU Party no longer participated in the second election
contest.
During the first decade since its establishment in West Sumatra, Fatayat NU under
the leadership of Khadijah Mawardi did not carry out active activities. This was because
Khadijah was busy as a lecturer engaged in teaching activities, and also because at that time
there was monoloyalty to the Golkar Party in the New Order era.
However, in the second decade, Fatayat NU's presence in West Sumatra began to
be felt. This was marked by the opening of new branches in various regions in West
Sumatra. This was further strengthened by the cooperation programme between the
Ministry of Religious Affairs and UNICEF run by Fatayat NU. However, although it began
to be recognised by the community, Fatayat NU experienced significant changes after the
change of leadership from Husna Aziz to Siti Izzati Aziz, without any innovation or new
work programmes being introduced.
ADVICE
This research is only about the figures who govern Fatayat NU in West Sumatra,
for further researchers can continue the study of the causes of the decline of Fatayat NU in
West Sumatra until now.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you to those who have helped in completing this research, especially the
resource persons who have been willing to take the time to provide information to the
author. Mr. Maidir Harun, Armaidi Tanjung, Husna Aziz, Azizah Aziz, Jusmaniar, etc.
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