Menag Lukman Hakim Saifuddin Calls for Information Jihad in Memory of Today, January 1, 2018

JAKARTA - Today's memory, eight years ago, January 1, 2018, the 2014-2019 era Minister of Religion (Menag), Lukman Hakim Saifuddin calls on religious people to jihad information in order to welcome the New Year. A struggle and courage to sort out which information is true and false.

Previously, Lukman was known to fight against the spread of false news. The spread of false news is considered to be able to kill someone's character. It can also interfere with diversity in Indonesia. Lukman believes it is a sin.

The presence of digital technology is often considered a marker of progress. However, its presence does not necessarily produce benefits. This is because not a few use digital technology in the field of information technology negatively.

Take for example spreading false information - hoaxes. The spread of false news is also increasingly rampant in the context of political contests, from the Pilkada level to the 2014 Presidential Election.

Each camp has a campaign with the goal of convincing people to vote for their leader. However, there are also parties that use black campaigns by spreading false news.

The false news that was spread was not just one or two, but rampant. The goal is sometimes to kill someone's character. In fact, when the 2014 presidential election was over, the narrative of false news never disappeared.

False news often appears and is later considered to interfere with the existence of the government. This condition is felt by the Minister of Religion, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin. He considers the spread of false news to bring disaster.

The spread of false news is considered to be able to damage the unity and unity of Indonesia. It can also be considered to interfere with diversity. As a result, Lukman firmly calls spreading false news a sin.

"The Prophet said, we can be classified as liars, sinners, when we convey anything we are not sure of. (That) is the Muslim tradition. Everything we hear and then tell, that means we can be included in the group of people who lie, sin," said Lukman as quoted by lamandetik.com, December 30, 2016.

Lukman also did not stay silent. For years he continued to voice that religious people were wise in sorting out information. The same narrative was tried to be voiced in the new year 2018. Or on January 1, 2018.

He called on people of faith to dare to jihad information. An effort that he considered as a form of positive religious expression. People of faith are asked to dare to fight false information by sorting out information.

The desire was revealed because information spreads very quickly. People can produce their own information with only a smart phone. Unfortunately, incorrect information can easily be trusted.

As a result, later with information jihad, religious people can become skeptical of every incoming information. Logic is used so that they can respond to various information that spreads on social media to friends.

"Let's arrange the sense so that we always stand on the truth in responding to various information and expressions. Maintaining this sense is also a message and teaching of religion," said Lukman as quoted by the lamankompas.com, January 1, 2018.