The Jakarta Globe, 21/10/2017
Jakarta. Indonesia’s Social Affairs Ministry has made a recommendation for the late ex-President Abdurrahman Wahid, affectionately known as Gus Dur, to be declared a national hero. If approved by President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, the official title will be announced in November.
Minister Khofifah Indar Pawaransa said her ministry submitted nine names to President Jokowi on Wednesday (18/10). The names were selected by a team comprising representatives from the police, the military (TNI), the national library, the state secretariat and leading historians.
"The title of national hero is bestowed not just for bravery in war, but also for excellence in other fields," Khofifah said in a statement issued by the ministry on Wednesday (18/10).
Gus Dur was born in Jombang, East Java, in 1940 and died in Jakarta in 2009. Before becoming Indonesia's fourth president in 1999, he was for a long time a prominent Muslim scholar and the chairman of the largest Islamic organization in the country, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). He dedicated his life to promoting pluralism in Indonesia.
"The decision [to declare Gus Dur as national hero] is now in the president's hands. The announcement will be made on National Heroes Day on Nov. 10," Khofifah said.
The title of national hero has been given to 169 Indonesians in the history of the republic, the statement also said.
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zo 22 okt 2017 - 6:05