In a short time the leadership in the body of the East Java's NU Regional Board (PWNU) has come to a momentum following the move of its chairman to be a vice governor candidate pairing with Soenayo in the province's first-ever gubernatorial election. In continuing the organization leadership, the leader of Zainul Hasan Islamic boarding school (pesantren) KH Mutawakkil Alallah is mandated to replace Maschan's position. Where will the PWNU  be directed and how does he keep balance the political dynamics during the regional election and ahead of the 2009 election in which the Nahdliyin (NU followers) are a dominant community strongly targeted? Here are the excerpts from NU Online's Mukafi Niam interview with KH Mutawakkil on the sidelines of his visit to the headquarters of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) recently.

What measures will you take to develop the PWNU in the future?

The first measure, I will gather and invite all chairmen of (Nahdlatul Ulama) institutions, committees (lajnah), autonomous bodies to arrange such short and long-term programs in accordance with their own field.

Women’s roles and movements have recently emerged more and more, but among the women themselves, there are many different concepts on what they must be, that is why they have different ways of seeing cases such as abortion, pornography, freedom, etc. In NU’s environment, there are at least three women’s autonomous bodies representing some parties. What efforts and cooperation should be taken between women mass organizations and between NU’s women autonomous bodies, here is the interview of NU Online’s Mukafi Niam with the General Chairwoman of the Nahdlatul Ulama women organization (Muslimat NU), Khofifah Indar Parawansa after welcoming the Hizbullah Women Chief Afaf Al Hakim at the PBNU headquarters early December.

What do you think about women organizations movement’s direction?

I myself view the existence of the mushrooming women organizations positively, but what we have to see now is the synergy ability regardless of their levels, members, and programs. I think, what we should consolidate is synergy. For instance, the Deliberation Board of Indonesian Muslim Women Organizations (BMOIWI) that is likely a confederation, such as The Indonesian Women Congress (KOWANI).

The second International Conefernce of Islamic Scholars (ICIS II) in Jakarta’s Borobudur Hotel on 20-22 June 2006 produced a document entitled: “Program of Action to Uphold Islam as Rahmatan lil Alamin toward Global Justice and Peace”. The Secretary General and also General Chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) KH Hasyim Muzadi told reporters several minutes after the closing ceremony of ICIS II at Borobudur Hotel, Jakarta, Thursday (22/6):