CIBUBUR, May 18, 1998. Nurcholish Madjid had just stepped from his car outside his home when his wife, Omi Komaria, hurriedly opened the front door. "There is a call from Pak Saadilah Mursyid, it's important," she said. Saadilah Mursyid was then State Secretary/Minister.

A historic conversation then took place. On the other end of the line, after the voice of Saadilah, Nurcholish heard that of the number one person in Indonesia. The voice of so