By: Raavi Ramadhan )*
Radicals spread their influence not only in the real world but also in cyberspace. If in the past they terrorized the threat of bombs and grenades, but now the weapons are hoax news. All of them have the same goal, to disintegrate the unity of Indonesia and replace the principle of Pancasila.
The world is in your hands. The term arises because we can do anything with a device, for shopping, ordering food, even reading news from other parts of the world. Unfortunately not all articles on the internet can be trusted, because everyone can create blogs and websites, right? Moreover, there is no censor body, so it might be a news that horrendous the world turned out to be just a hoax.
The ease of making online media and the high interest of the community in the internet are well utilized by radicals. They abandoned the old-fashioned way by threatening bombings in public places, because they were more at risk. But now radicals are flapping their wings in cyberspace by creating various sites that contain hoaxes and hate speech. Even the amount can be up to hundreds.
Various fake news that corners the government is produced by them, and can spread to the WA group. So, ordinary people who just have a smartphone can also read it. There are various kinds of hoaxes but the same goal is to curse the government which is considered incompetent in managing the country. So more and more people are affected and will also agree with their thinking to create a country without the principle of Pancasila and Unity in Diversity.
One of the hoaxes that emerged was when there was a large-scale social restriction (PSBB) policy in all cities, aiming to reduce the spread of the covid-19 virus. When a senior lecturer is caught driving a car and violates the PSBB, a news narrative is made in the online media about criminalizing the lecturer. The article was clearly made by radicals. Though that was not the intention of his arrest. Anyone who violates the PSBB rules must be dealt with firmly, regardless of whether he is an ordinary person or a famous person.
Likewise, when a prisoner is released, he happens to be a speaker. Previously he was arrested for a case of violence against minors, and is now able to get out of jail since there is an assimilation program. But unfortunately many people were confused because a few moments later he was arrested again. They criticized and thought the government was playing with a speaker.
There are causes, of course there are consequences. The reason the lecturer was arrested again was not a prank, but rather because he gave speeches again about what divided the harmony in Indonesia. Moreover, the event was filled with many people, thus violating the PSBB rules. This condition was blown up by online media owned by radicals and finally made news as if the government is always in conflict with the speakers.
Another news hoax made by radicals is when the mosque is closed and not even allowed to hold Friday prayers. They are suing why the independence of worship is confiscated by the government. Then this is related to the government which is considered not pro-lecturer, does not support the people to pray, etc.
When the place of worship is closed it is certainly done to prevent the transmission of corona disease. The crowd that is there certainly has the potential to make many people infected with the covid-19 virus. So there really is a strong reason to close it, not just forbid without cause. Moreover, the ulamas also allowed the midnight prayer only on Friday and could not be held at the mosque, because it was still in a dangerous pandemic.
Radicals keep pitting people against the government and they operate in cyberspace to achieve their goals. People who want to form a country without the principles of Pancasila make hoax news and spread it, so that many believe that the government is wrong. When in fact the opposite is true. Do not be too easy to believe if there is news in the online media especially if it is spread to the WA group, because it could be a hoax.
)* The writer is a student of the University of Pakuan Bogor