TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House of Representatives (DPR) Information Commission deputy chairman Hanafi Rais said that the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) fatwa on guidelines for social media activity will strengthen the Information and Electronic (ITE) Law.
He said that the MUI fatwa will guide the people in the management of social media content. He said that most Indonesians are not yet aware of the consequences of spreading certain contents on social media.
He said that social media platforms are used mostly by the middle class. He said that the MUI fatwa will strengthen the existing legal norms. “There are legal norms that have to be abided by social media users,” said the National Mandate Party (PAN) politician.
The so-called muamalah medsosiah fatwa issued by the MUI holds that Muslims must respect each other and their fellow Indonesians. The fatwa also requires Muslims to maintain harmony with people of other religions.
The MUI fatwa forbids Muslim from, among others, backbiting (ghibah), defaming (fitnah), making other people fight (known as adu domba) and inciting hatred.
The MUI also forbids bullying, hate speech, animosity based on ethnicity, religion and race. It is also haram to spread hoaxes and fake news—even for good reasons—or distribute pornographic contents.
ARKHELAUS WISNU
