Updated 18 Jan 2024
Liputan6.com, Yogyakarta The Ahmadiyah congregation in Indonesia is one of the groups that is vulnerable to violations of freedom of religion and belief (KBB). Based on SETARA Institute data, in the period from 2007 to 2020, there were 2,713 incidents of KBB violations in Indonesia. 570 of these incidents were experienced by the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI). READ ALSO:
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One of the fuels in violations of freedom of religion and belief is hoaxes . Fake news often hides behind narratives of religious freedom in the digital space.
In election years , hoaxes are often used in the agenda of identity politicization, which ultimately triggers violations of the KBB. This phenomenon reveals how fake and manipulative news can change the social and political landscape, leaving the most vulnerable communities on the front lines of a fight they did not start
Hoax targets in election year
Press Secretary of the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation, Yendra Budiana, revealed that misleading narratives about Ahmadiyah are fake news. This is because the narrative was created without going through a direct verification process with Ahmadiyah and does not match the existing facts.
Ahmadiyah is often the target of hoaxes, especially in election years. According to him, hoaxes can be a tool for identity politics ahead of the election. Yendra explained that the hoaxes that emerge about Ahmadiyah usually involve differences which are ultimately interpreted as heresy.
“The first most frequent (hoax) is that Ahmadiyah is a group that desecrates religion. The proof is in the presence of a new prophet, the Prophet is not the Prophet Muhammad, the holy book is not the Koran, the creed is different. The pilgrimage is not to Mecca, but professing Islam” said Yendra when contacted on Wednesday (20/12/2023).
This disinformation and misinformation is what is ultimately built up in the regions and becomes a fact of integrity to win electoral votes. Apart from that, hoaxes are also used by pressure groups to urge local governments to commit to eliminating groups they consider heretical.
“The initial hoax was built like that. If it is successful, usually they will go to the next stage (hoax) that Ahmadiyah is the source of conflict,” added Yendra.
Yendra explained that it was from this hoax that society’s rejection finally emerged. Ahmadiyah also tries to defend its rights. The authorities then got involved. In order to maintain security stability, a framing was built that Ahmadiyah was the trigger for conflict. This condition then creates anxiety and fear in the Ahmadiyah congregation.
source https://www.liputan6.com/hot/read/5507776/ahmadiyah-dan-pusaran-hoaks-di-tahun-politik-2024?page=3
Categories: Ahmadis, Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, Asia, Indonesia, religious freedom