Nahdatul Ulama

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Nahdatul Ulama (also Nahdlatul Ulama or NU) is a traditionalist conservative Sunni Islam group in Indonesia. Its traditionalist nature is evident in the name Ulama, referring to the scholar-preachers of Islam, trained in Qur'anic studies, including the interpretation of the religious laws contained therein. Despite its traditionalist nature, its chairman Hasyim Muzadi opposes the establishment of Indonesia as a religious (Islamic) country, and calls for greater cooperation and understanding between all the religious groups in Indonesia.

NU was established on 31 January 1926, around the same time that the reformist Muhammadiyah was established. Its first president was Hasyim Asy'ari, who was the most respected Ulama in Indonesia at the time. Abdurrahman Wahid, the grandson of NU founder Hasyim Asy'ari, inherited the leadership from his father, and was later elected President of Indonesia in 1999.

NU is also one of the largest independent Islamic organizations in the world. Some estimations of their membership range as high as 30 million, although it is hard to account for this number. NU acts as a large charitable body helping to fill in many of the shortcomings of the Indonesian government in society; it funds schools, hospitals, and organizes communities or "kampungs" into more coherent groups in order to help combat poverty. Despite its conservative nature, NU is strongly opposed to the radical Islamic groups which have been undertaking attacks against Western and Christian symbols for the last few years in Indonesia.