Gus Dur

Gus Dur PDF

Author: Greg Barton

Publisher: Equinox Publishing

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 439

ISBN-13: 9799589851

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In October 1999, Abdurrahman Wahid, almost blind and recovering from a nearfatal stroke, was elected as Indonesia's fourth president. Referred to as 'Indonesia's surprising new president' by the Economist, the man who had commanded the highest respect of his fellow countrymen for his lifetime devotion to public service, liberal democracy and tolerant Islam, was impeached in humiliating and controversial circumstances less than two years later. Wise to some, insolent to others, Abdurrahman's mercurial style of leadership constantly confounded critics and ultimately caused him to be widely misunderstood by both domestic and international observers. For the first time, biographer Greg Barton delves beneath the surface and gives us a unique insight into the man and his world drawn from his long relationship with Gus Dur - including being at his side during the final extraordinary months of the presidency. Those interested in the drama of modern Indonesian politics will find this book provides a fascinating and invaluable account of the enigmatic Gus Dur.

Abdurrahman Wahid

Abdurrahman Wahid PDF

Author: Greg Barton

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 2002-05-31

Total Pages: 442

ISBN-13: 9780824826222

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In humiliating circumstances, Indonesia's first democratically elected president, Abdurrahman Wahid, was forced from office in July 2001 after less than two years in the job. Wahid, almost blind and still recovering from a near-fatal stroke, was widely misunderstood in the West, even being seen as a somewhat comical figure. But in Indonesia the Muslim scholar affectionately known as Gus Dur to millions of people had long been revered by many of his countrymen and highly respected by the country's elites. His life had been one of great public service to his fellow citizens, his religion, and his belief in liberal democracy. In this authorized biography, much of it based on unique first-hand observation, Greg Barton introduces us to both the man and his world and attempts to make sense of his controversial public career and presidency. Barton has known Wahid since 1988, when he started researching the influence of Islamic liberalism in Indonesia, and has subsequently spent many months with his subject, including seven months during Wahid's 21-month presidency, both in Indonesia and travelling with him abroad. Anyone who is at all interested in the drama of modern Indonesia will find this view from the inside an essential read.

Of Self and Injustice

Of Self and Injustice PDF

Author: C.W. Watson

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2021-10-01

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 9004454365

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Since the downfall of Soeharto in 1998 many autobiographical writings have appeared in Indonesia from the pens of those who were marginalized by his so-called New Order regime. This book examines representative autobiographies of several such individuals: two ex-political prisoners who describe themselves as Muslim Communists; two writers of the left, one a woman in a senior position in the left-wing women s organization, Gerwani, and one a well-known male novelist who spent years in exile in China and Russia; two Muslim opponents of Soeharto, one an intellectual and the other a political campaigner; and finally, two collections of short autobiographies by the younger generation, one a group involved in social welfare action, the other a group of dedicated young Muslims. The scrutiny of the texts is in all cases preceded by a brief account of the historical and cultural context of the writing of the autobiographies. In the analysis of the works themselves the emphasis is on trying to represent the implicit tone of the narrative as much as its overt contents. Both general and specialist readers are consequently invited to reflect on the memories and experiences of significant participant-observers as a mode of understandig a recent period in Indonesian history.