Indonesia's highest Muslim clerical council said Wednesday it was preparing to issue a fatwa (a religious ruling) in an attempt to curb the spread of fake news which is being used to fuel ethnic and religious tensions in the country and threatens to influence an upcoming election.
The fatwa will decree the spreading of slander and lies as haram, or forbidden. However fatwas are not legally binding and the council is not an officially elected government body, meaning the impact of the ruling could be limited.
The government is also attempting to stop the spread of fake news, with the Communications Ministry last month blocking 11 websites it claimed were spreading hatred and misinformation, following a similar step in November.
"We will issue [the fatwa] as soon as possible, because the situation is worrying," said Maaruf Amin, chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council. "Hopefully, at least Muslims won't be involved anymore in hoaxes." Amin added that the council had consulted the government first before issuing its decision "so that our approach will not be in opposition to government policy."
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