BRIN And Muhammadiyah Cases: Not Enough Intellectual Capital, Social Media Also Needs Wisdom

Illustration - Differences in the method of determining 1 Syawal should not be debated. (Between/Teuku Dedi Iskandar)

JAKARTA Comments by researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency or BRIN, Andi Pangeran Hasanuddin on Facebook have drawn blasphemy. As a State Civil Apparatus, Andi should not have made a statement of criticism in public debate about the methods of reckoning and rukyat in determining Eid al-Fitr. After all, the government alone really appreciates this difference.

Andi in his comments even showed arrogance and arrogance.

"Do I need to halalkan the blood of all Muhammadiyah? Moreover, Muhammadiyah was infiltrated by Hizbut Tahrir through the agenda of the global Islamic calendar from the Liberation Gema? Lots of bacot, really!! Here I kill you one by one. Please report my comments with the threat of murder articles! I'm ready to be imprisoned. I'm tired of seeing your commotion, "wrote Andi.

"You Muhammadiyah, even though you are still our brothers and sisters, we are cross-scientical discussion partners, but we have considered you a common enemy in terms of anti-TBC (takhayul, heresy, microphate) and progressive scientific ones who are still egosectoral. Why are you proud to have more mosques, orphanages, schools, and hospitals than us if it's only egocentric and egosectoral?" Andi in his follow-up comments.

The Chancellor of the University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta, Ma'mun Murod, wonders how can BRIN researchers with their intellectuality comment like thugs.

"How come you are threatening to kill? BRIN as a research institution should be filled with those who show their intellectuality, not like thugs," Ma'mun tweeted on his Twitter account on April 24.

The threat of killing from a deontological ethical perspective, according to the author of the book "Communication Ethics in the Cyber Era", Fajar Junaedi, is a major and fundamental violation of humanity.

Deontology Ethics is a view that assesses morality as an action based on compliance with regulations.

Threatening to kill vulgarly written in public spaces of social media also shows the existence of a crime banality, a situation that considers crime to be killing as something that is banal or very common.

What APH (Andi Pangeran Hasanuddin) did was a normalization practice of the community ofevil initiated by his superiors TD (Thomas Djamaluddin). Ethically, their behavior does not reflect academic character. Attached to the oath of office as ASN, their behavior clearly violates ethics," Fajar told VOI on April 26, 2023.

Thomas Djamaluddin is an astronomer and researcher of BRIN who also serves as Head of the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space.

In various forums, said Fajar, TD is known to always attack Muhammadiyah. Likewise, when on Facebook on April 21, Thomas uploaded a photo that reads Answering a public question: Why is it still Rukyat, even though Hilal cannot be Observed? Why Does It'sbat Session Need?.

AflaHAL Mufadilah's account commented, "Finally, just asking, is it not wise for our government? In the midst of the differences that have hit, because some Muslims choose to be firm, the government is still calling for everything to feel."

Thomas replied to Aflahan's comment: "Sdh, they don't obey the government's decision, they still ask to facilitate the ied prayer place. The government also provides facilities."

Then, Andi with the account name AP Hasanuddin appeared in the comments column by writing death threats to Muhammadiyah residents.

Andi and Thomas' statement from the perspective of the relationship between power and knowledge, according to Fajar, can also be interpreted as an effort to limit and even castrate the use of the reckoning method that Muhammadiyah had long carried out, even long before the Republic of Indonesia was established.

" KNOWLEDGE that is not in accordance with power is considered abnormal and must be hampered. In fact, the government alone gives freedom," said the lecturer at the Communication Sciences at the University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.

Andi has apologized. He admitted that the threatening statement arose due to emotion shortly when he saw Thomas Djamaluddin's upload being attacked by a number of Facebook activists.

"I apologize profusely to the leadership and all Muhammadiyah residents who are offended by my comments. I promise not to repeat this kind of act again in the future," Andi said in a written message on April 23, 2023.

Through his Facebook account, Thomas Djamaluddin also apologized. According to him, there is no hatred or hatred for Muhammadiyah in his heart. After all, Muhammadiyah is an asset of the nation that has contributed greatly to the history of the nation's struggle.

What he said was only a critical attitude towards the criteria for the formulation of the hilal that Thomas considered astronomically obsolete. Also, the attitude of the organization's ego that hinders dialogue towards common ground.

"My intention is only to encourage change to jointly realize the unity of the people nationally first," he said on April 24.

"I repeat every time there is a difference in holidays to remind that this difference should be resolved, not preserved. Once again I sincerely apologize to the leadership and citizens of Muhammadiyah for the inconvenience and misunderstanding that occurred," he added.

The development of the digital world has indeed changed the system of human mindset, way of speaking, and acting. Today many people can use modern communication tools, but are unable to control themselves in using them.

This means that it is not enough to only rely on intellectual intelligence, responding to the development of the digital world, especially social media, and also need wisdom and ethics.

The wisdom, according to William Chang in the book Ethics & Communications Ethics, includes the use of communication facilities as needed, not being carried away emotionally, critically responding to offers, and taking distance as needed.

Because, whatever is communicated through social media will become a material for general consumption.

"Communication on social media is not communication between individuals. Once uploads on social media we cannot withdraw or even erase traces of it. So it is important to sort and choose what to upload. The important point is digital literacy, especially for anyone, including officials," Fajar said.

Academics from the State Islamic University of Sunan Gunung Djati Moeflich H. Hart assessed that the Thomas Jamaluddin case was only a matter of how to communicate.

Communication is a medium to convey knowledge so that it can be accepted and beneficial for others. The correct communication is a characteristic of the maturity of a person's knowledge.

A lot of knowledge is conveyed in the wrong way. Wrong in knowledge shows lack of reading, wrong in communication shows lack of maturity.

The correct knowledge if conveyed with wrong communication can be a problem. The wrong knowledge but conveyed with the right communication, could not be a problem.

"From the provocation case of Thomas Jamaluddin as a well-known professor of astronomy, we gain knowledge about the importance of maturity in communicating as a reflection of maturity, not just knowledge," Moeflich said in his upload on his Facebook account on April 26, 2023.