REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- National Police deputy chief Syafruddin said most informations related to attacks on ulemas are fake news. In West Java, real incidents of lunatics attack on ulemas were only two of 13 cases that were widely discussed in the society.
"95 percent of it was fake news (hoax)," he explained after meeting the ulemas at Arif Nurul Huda mosque, East Java Police headquarters, Surabaya, on Wednesday (Feb 21).
Names of perpetrators who allegedly spread fake news of violent attacks on ulemas has been identified by National Police Criminal Investigation Unit (Bareskrim Polri). "It was spread to lead people's opinion that our country in dangerous situation. Many of them already got stuck with fake news produced by the director or perpetrator," Bareskrim Polri head, Ari Dono Sukmanto through written statement on Wednesday (Feb 21).
Ari said people has been trapped in the hoax scenario. He revealed, based on investigation result, the spread of fake news was indeed structured and systematic. "For example, from social media, there are tens of thousands of discussion on articles linked to the issues of religious figures attack," Ari added.
The mastermind dragged the issue to the rise of Indonesian Communist Party (PKI). It was spread in various social media networks. The accounts which discussed the topics were organized.
"We know the accounts and if they still continue to spread hoax, be ready (to be caught)," Ari asserted.Based on police's data, from January to February 2018, as many as 26 fake news were created, with various forms of respective opinions.
Previously on Tuesday (Feb 20), National Police Public Relation head Setyo Wasisto explained real cases of attacks on ulema did happened in a series, but not related. So far, there has been no evidence that connected the cases. "There is a case inspired by other case. It means what happened today are duplicated the following day," he said.
In West Java, there were at least three attack cases against religious leader figures in the last four weeks. The first happened to Kiai Umar Basyri, a clerics at Al Hidayah Islamic boarding school (pesantren) mosque in Cicalengka, Bandung on January 27.
Then the second case happened to ustaz Prawoto. The commander of the Central Leaders Brigade of Islam (Persis) died after being attacked by a neighbor who was suspected suffered a psychiatric disorder on February 1.
Third, there was an attack against student at Pesantren Al Futuhat, Garut, West Java by six unknown people. There was also a man who is troubled with his psyches hiding on the At Tawakkal Mosque Bandung City brandishing a knife.