Gus Dur is `indeed a hero'

As a young student, I had several opportunities - including with my parents - to go to events attended by the late Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid. I admired his deep wisdom, startling criticism of adversaries and glorious humor.

Despite his very fragile health, the near-blind Muslim cleric and former president tried to create an atmosphere of warmth and friendship. His physical frailty gave Gus Dur the strength to be in attendance no matter how big or small the conference.

A few years ago, I had the privilege to see Gus Dur in action, live for the last time.

The event, organized by the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP), brought together scholars, NGOs and leaders of different faiths to discuss a range of interfaith topics and social issues, with Gus Dur as the guest of honor.

By this time I not only understood his jokes but appreciated his encouragement of peaceful dialogue. It was as if he was speaking personally to each and every member of the audience, for we all felt appreciated.

Watching the people gathered at the Proclamation Monument in Central Jakarta on Jan. 2 to show their respect - where mothers held their children's hands, umbrellas raised to ward off the rain, the young and the old, Buddhist monks in saffron and maroon robes, Muslim clerics, Catholic nuns, scholars, students, artists, activists and old friends of Gus Dur - was deeply moving.

The place was packed with people despite the rain, and everyone listened attentively to the speeches that touched upon the many illustrious aspects of Gus Dur's life, his farsightedness in seeking to foster peaceful relations between Indonesia and Israel.

We felt moved by his touching acts of humility and reconciliation when he apologized on behalf of the Indonesian nation to those who suffered during the anticommunist reprisals in 1965 and 1966.

With the rain easing, we raised our flickering candles to the night sky and sent prayers from all the different faiths of Indonesia, winging their way like small birds to bring joy and a peaceful rest to Gus Dur.

This beautiful event, "A Thousand Candles For Gus Dur", organized by Catholic priest Johannes Haryanto and a dedicated interfaith team from the ICRP, closed with my own humble rendering of Gandhi's poem on the longing of the soul, a stirring tribute in verse performed by legislator Rieke Diah Pitaloka with musical accompaniment by Franky Sihalatua, and a wistful Barongsai dance especially choreographed for the occasion.

The soft, slow movements of the usually boisterous and playful dragon seemed to say that he too was in mourning for Gus Dur.

It was an honor to be in the company of people whose paths to greatness, like Gus Dur, are inspired by a fundamental belief in the innate goodness of human beings. The feeling of warmth, welcome and of being one family is something I will cherish forever.

With tears in her eyes, Gus Dur's youngest daughter, Inaya, told us how much her father would have enjoyed this occasion and encouraged us all to continue Gus Dur's efforts to foster peace and pluralism in Indonesia. We too had tears in our eyes as we sang "Gus Dur Sayang, Gus Dur Pahlawanku" (Beloved Gus Dur, Gus Dur our hero).

The writer is a student at the University of Indonesia's School of Economics and a delegate to the HPAIR 2010 Harvard Conference at Harvard University.