Jakarta — The war against online gambling is now not only the business of law enforcement and the government, but has also involved religious figures as the vanguard in saving society from the clutches of this deviant behavior.
Jambi Governor Al Haris firmly invited preachers and speakers to play an active role in eradicating Online Gambling through a religious approach. He emphasized that the role of religious figures is crucial in providing moral enlightenment to the community, especially the younger generation who are most vulnerable to falling into digital-based gambling practices.
“I ask the preachers and preachers to take part because there are many things that can be done from different sides but the goal is the same, especially in eradicating Online Gambling,” said Al Haris in a statement in Jambi.
He said that the anti-Online Gambling campaign movement should not only be ceremonial, but must directly touch the root of the problem in society.
Al Haris’ concerns are justified. Data shows that online gambling users in Jambi are dominated by school children and productive age. This is a danger signal for the future of the nation’s next generation. The Governor of Jambi even said that the rise of online gambling reflects the failure of some parents and teachers in instilling religious and moral values from an early age.
Responding to this, the Head of the Nahdlatul Ulama Regional Management Board (PWNU) of Jambi Province, Iskandar Nasution, stated NU’s readiness to synergize with the government in combating Online Gambling.
“NU is ready to help and contribute to overcoming Online Gambling through our institution,” he said.
PWNU will mobilize the network of Islamic boarding schools and community groups to strongly reject all forms of digital gambling which are considered to damage the social order and faith of the community.
In line with that, Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid invited preachers to strengthen preaching in the digital space. According to her, preaching in the current era is not enough to be done only in mosques or religious studies, but must also target social media and other online platforms that are places for spreading negative content.
“We are committed to providing digital literacy for preachers so that they can be more effective in conveying preaching messages and fighting the promotion of Online Gambling which is detrimental to the Indonesian people,” said Meutya.
Collaboration between the government, religious leaders, and religious institutions is an important foundation in dealing with the increasingly widespread dangers of Online Gambling. With a moral and spiritual approach that touches the hearts of the people, the fight against Online Gambling is expected to produce real results in order to create a generation that is mentally, spiritually, and socially healthy.
