Vice President Invites Ulama To Protect People From COVID-19 Hoaxes: Some Say Conspiracy, Even Though It's Real

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin (PHOTO VIA BETWEEN)

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin invites scholars, kiai, and Islamic religious leaders to protect the public from submitting hoax information amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I would like to invite the kiai to protect the people from various information, rumors that are not true. Many people cannot distinguish which information is true, which is false," said Vice President Ma'ruf, quoted by Antara, Tuesday, July 13.

This disinformation is currently busy related to COVID-19, a lot of misleading information, even grouping people into not believing the COVID-19 pandemic is real.

"Now it is happening, including information that COVID-19 is a conspiracy, even though this is real. That's why this is called the post truth era, meaning that after the truth, the truth is disguised with lies," he explained.

The Vice President also added that in the midst of the flood of information, which was obtained by the public, especially from social media, it contained many lies, slander, and hoaxes.

"Nowadays, there is a flood of information, some are true, some are not true; some are lies, some are slander; some are hoaxes, some are fighting each other. This is all mixed up in the community," said the vice president.

Therefore, as a fellow cleric, Vice President Ma'ruf Amin invites all kiai and Islamic religious leaders to jointly protect the public from disinformation about COVID-19.

"My role is as a friend of the kiai, all of the ulama, together with the government, to fight, to fight in the face of the terrible danger of COVID-19," said the vice president.