Salahuddin Wahid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Salahuddin Wahid
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Wahid as a vice-presidential nominee in 2004
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| Member of People's Consultative Assembly | |
| In office 1998 – 30 September 1999 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 September 1942 Jombang, Japanese Indies |
| Died | 2 February 2020 (aged 77) Jakarta, Indonesia |
| Relations | Wahid Hasyim (father) Abdurrahman Wahid (brother) |
| Alma mater | Bandung Institute of Technology |
Salahuddin Wahid (born September 11, 1942 – died February 2, 2020) was an important Indonesian leader. People often called him Gus Solah. He was a respected Islamic scholar and also a politician.
Salahuddin Wahid came from a famous family linked to Nahdlatul Ulama, a large Islamic organization. He was the younger brother of Abdurrahman Wahid, who later became the President of Indonesia. Salahuddin Wahid served in the country's main law-making body, the People's Consultative Assembly, from 1998 to 1999. He also worked as the vice-chair of the National Commission on Human Rights from 2002 to 2004. In the 2004 Indonesian presidential election, he ran for Vice President alongside Wiranto, but they did not win.
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Salahuddin Wahid's Early Life and Family
Salahuddin Wahid was born in Jombang, a town in East Java, Indonesia. His birthday was September 11, 1942. His father was Wahid Hasyim, a well-known leader. His grandfather was Hasyim Asy'ari, who started the important Nahdlatul Ulama organization.
Salahuddin went to public schools in Jakarta. He finished high school at SMAN 1 Jakarta. After that, he studied architecture at the Bandung Institute of Technology.
In 1968, he married Farida. Her father, Saifuddin Zuhri, used to be the Minister of Religious Affairs. Farida's brother, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, also became a minister later. Salahuddin and Farida had three children together.
Salahuddin Wahid's Career and Public Service
After finishing his studies, Salahuddin Wahid worked in architecture. He held leadership roles in construction companies for some time. However, he left these jobs after the Asian financial crisis affected the economy.
Between 1998 and 1999, Wahid served in the People's Consultative Assembly. This was a time of big changes in Indonesia after the fall of Suharto. Many new political parties were formed, including some linked to Nahdlatul Ulama. His brother, Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), joined the National Awakening Party (PKB). Salahuddin Wahid joined another party called the Ummat Awakening Party (PKU).
In October 1998, Salahuddin and his brother Gus Dur had public discussions in the newspaper Media Indonesia. They talked about their father's ideas for Indonesia. Gus Dur believed their father supported Pancasila, which is Indonesia's state ideology. Salahuddin thought his father wanted a state based on Islam. Salahuddin left the PKU party in September 1999.
In 1999, Wahid tried to become the head of Nahdlatul Ulama. He came in third place in the first round of voting. He then decided not to continue in the second round.
Later, in 2002, he became the vice-chair of the National Commission on Human Rights (KOMNAS HAM). In this role, he led a team that looked into human rights issues. He also led teams investigating problems during the May 1998 riots and in the Buru camps.
Presidential Election Campaign
In the 2004 Indonesian presidential election, Wiranto chose Salahuddin Wahid as his running mate. Wahid represented the PKB party, which worked with Wiranto's party, Golkar. To join the election, Wahid resigned from his roles in Nahdlatul Ulama and KOMNAS HAM. The Wiranto-Wahid team finished third in the election. They received 22.15 percent of the votes. This meant they did not move on to the final round. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla won the election.
From 2006 until he passed away, Wahid managed the Tebuireng pesantren. A pesantren is a traditional Islamic boarding school. His grandfather had founded this school.
Salahuddin Wahid's Passing
In January 2020, Salahuddin Wahid had a medical procedure in Jakarta. He later had to go back to the hospital because of problems after the procedure. He needed surgery on January 31. His health did not get better after the surgery. He passed away at 8:55 PM local time on February 2, 2020.
His body was flown to Jombang on the morning of February 3. His funeral took place that afternoon. He was buried in the Tebuireng burial grounds. This is the same place where his parents, grandparents, and his brother Abdurrahman Wahid are buried.
Salahuddin Wahid's Beliefs and Views
Salahuddin Wahid believed that Nahdlatul Ulama should not get too involved in politics. He also spoke up for the protection of Ahmadiyya followers. Ahmadiyya is a religious group that sometimes faces challenges in Indonesia.
Wahid said that the government should use Indonesia's Constitution and laws as a guide. He felt these were more important than religious rulings from groups like the Indonesian Ulema Council. He personally thought the Ahmadiyya movement had different religious beliefs. However, he stated that no group should be disbanded unless they break the law. He believed any such action must follow legal steps, not just pressure from other religious groups.
