Indonesia Islamic council to issue fatwa against fake news

JAKARTA: Indonesia's highest Muslim clerical council is to issue an edict, or fatwa, declaring the spreading of fake news un-Islamic, its chairman said today.
Indonesia has one of the world's highest number of Facebook and Twitter users, and the biggest Muslim population, and concern is growing that fake news is fuelling religious and ethnic tension.
"We will issue it as soon as possible, because the situation is worrying," Indonesia Ulema Council chairman Maaruf Amin said.
"Hopefully, at least Muslims won't be involved anymore in hoaxes," he said.
The council is not a government or lawmaking body and its edicts are not legally binding.
The edict is expected before a hotly contested election on Feb 15 for governor of the capital, Jakarta, with an ethnic Chinese, Christian incumbent running against two Muslim candidates.
Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, or Ahok as he is known, has been embroiled in a blasphemy trial in which he stands accused of insulting the Quran.
The case arose from an incorrectly subtitled video, which went viral on social media late last year, of comments that Basuki made about his opponents' use of the holy book in political campaigning.
Hundreds of thousands of people led by a hardline group have twice descended on Jakarta to protest against Basuki and call for his jailing.
President Joko Widodo has repeatedly urged social media users to refrain from spreading fake news and the government has invited Facebook executives for talks to help combat the problem. – AFP