The Contribution of Media in Disseminating Religious Intolerance in West Java
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The Contribution of Media in Disseminating Religious Intolerance in West Java Deni Miharja1, Sahya Anggara2 and Muhlas1 1Faculty of Ushuluddin, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, Jalan A H Nasution 105 Bandung, Indonesia 2Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati, Bandung, Indonesia Keywords: Media; Online, Intolerance, Religious, West Java. Abstract: A research conducted by SETARA Institute reported that West Java is considered to be one of the provinces with the highest level of religious intolerance. These religious intolerances include interference to places of worship in various forms: assault, sealing, rejection, destruction of houses of worship, and the prohibition of the construction of houses of worship, the prohibition of worship activities, and others. The intolerance acts were recorded in news published in various online media so that the information immediately spread and read by the public. This research aims to determine the contribution of online media in conveying the news of religious intolerance that occurred in West Java in 2017. This study used content analysis to analyze some news delivered in online media in disseminating religious intolerance that occurred in West Java in 2017 in Kompas Com. and Tribun News. The result of this study shows that online media specifically in Kompas Com. and Tribun News contributed to disseminating news content of religious intolerance in West Java during 2017. This contribution shows in the form of reports of incidents of attacks, sealing, rejection, destruction of houses of worship, restrictions on the construction of houses of worship, and the prohibition of worship activities. 1 INTRODUCTION Wahid Foundation the practice of Freedom of Religion and Belief (KBB) in West Java is fairly Indonesia is a plural country with various cultures, poor. In line with Wahid Foundation, SETARA ethnic, and religions. Indonesia contains cultural, Institute reported that most of the abuses occurred in ethnic, and religious diversity but unified as the Jakarta and on the outskirts of Jakarta such as State of the Republic of Indonesia with the slogan of Bekasi, Tangerang, Depok, and Bogor, and other the unity in diversity (Bhinneka Tunggal Ika) areas of West Java. (Casram, 2016; Miharja, 2016). The most serious social tensions and violations There are several types of diversity of of freedom of religion/belief are primarily related to Indonesian society namely: (1) Indonesia is the places of worship of minority religious groups, Muslim majority country in the world; however, (2) criminalization of Ahmadiyya congregations, hate Indonesia recognizes six religion and protect their speeches, including statements or sayings of adherents; (3) Indonesia contains many different government officials / public figures that incite ethnic groups; (4) Indonesia consist of thousands (condoning), all of which are classified in the island that called archipelago. category of intolerances. In reality, there are several conflicts occurred Reports from Wahid Institute that examine related to ethnic and even religious differences. religious harmony from year to year until 2011 Indonesia is also seen as more and more adapts to showed thatmore intolerance occurred in recent curving freedom of expression include in term of years than in previous years.These intolerance religious freedom. Hamayotsu reports that this is behaviors occurred in the name of religious violence related also to the representation of more such as against Ahmadiyyahmember. The Wahid conservative and radical Islamic elements in Institute also reported that West Java is the province governmental representatives (Hamayotsu, 2013). In with the highest rates of violations from year to the last five years, based on data released by the year(The Wahid Institute, 2011). Nowadays, these 1888 Miharja, D., Anggara, S. and Muhlas, . The Contribution of Media in Disseminating Religious Intolerance in West Java. DOI: 10.5220/0009936918881895 In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Recent Innovations (ICRI 2018), pages 1888-1895 ISBN: 978-989-758-458-9 Copyright c 2020 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved The Contribution of Media in Disseminating Religious Intolerance in West Java religious intolerances that occur in some areas of appreciation of the rich diversity of any world's West Java are easily accessible and well known due cultures, forms of expression and ways of being to electronic media news presentation. Derived from human. It is fostered by knowledge, openness, theses news are several comments from the communication, and freedom of thought, conscience community related to that events as they were spread and belief.(Michael Walzer, On Tolerantion Castle quickly. Lectures in Rtchics, Politics, and Economics (New According to Antony Mayfield(Mayfield, 2008), York: Yale University Press, 1997), 56. social media is a medium that users can easily In the case of religious intolerance means any participate and create various roles especially related conduct that one religious group having prejudices to blogs, social networks, wikis / online to other religious groups in term of practices, encyclopedias, virtual forums, including virtual adherents and believes. Intolerance is an attitude of worlds (with avatars / 3D characters)(McQuail, disrespect to the belief system of other religion. 1987). (Wikipedia, Ensiklodeia Bebas). The presence of social media has made easier Previous studies by Georgene Suryani’s reported access to various public spaces than before. There is the objectivity of media coverage specifically in no more barriers and limitations in obtaining any VOA-Islam.com related to the rejection of Ahok news occurs ineveryday life (Eriyanto, 2001; (previous governor of Jakarta) during the period Ghifari, 2017). Thus,social media has an important September-October 2014. This study shows that the contribution in disseminating news content including content of VOA-Islam.com is dominated by the news related to religious intolerance. People can psychological inclusion facts (72.9%). This study read the e news version of immediate events also provides complete and clear incident with occurred everywhere and at anytime(Furqon and qualified and valued sources of information Busro, 2017). (Suryani, 2015; Rumata, 2016). Several publishing and media companies that Furthermore, Jordie Yonatan Susilo wrote a specialized in reporting news transform their news Thesis on "The Objection of Online Media presentation by accommodating technology. They Reporting Republika and SuaraPembaruan on provide the presentation of their news not only in Mosque Burning Issues in Tolikara, Papua: A printing but also in electronic version. This paper Quantitative Content Analysis". The conclusion aims to uncover and determine the contribution of states that in general, the online media Republika online media in conveying the news of religious and SuaraPembaruan have not met the objectivity intolerance which occurred in West Java through category in disseminatingnews about the burning of Kompas.Com and Tribune News in 2017. the Mosque in Tolikara, Papua. Both online media are contradicted to each other in providing the news. But both online media is trying to be objective. This 2 METHOD can be seen from the suitability of the title and the content of the news, clear attribution, the inclusion The method used in this study is qualitative with of the time of the occurrence of the event, and news created containing news value(Susilo, 2016). content analysis to analyze a variety of news related to religious intolerance that occurred in West Java FeryRohmadi, et al., also wrote about, "Framing published by Kompas.com and Tribun News Analysis of Cases of Alleged Blasphemy of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama in Kompas Online Media.Com and throughout 2017. Hidayatullah.com." He reported that kompas.com framed the case of alleged blasphemy against the non-active Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnamathat he 3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION is innocent in that case and concluded that he is in fact a tolerant person. The news also reported the It is important to firstly discus the meaning of background of Ahok who were hosted in Muslim tolerance. Tolerance originated from Latin, family and he has learnt about diversity. tolerantia, meansendure, forbearance or Kompas.com explains the news using syntactic, patience[Hornby AS, Oxford Advanced Learner`s script, thematic, and rhetorical structure to build Dictionary (Oxford: University Printing House, public opinion. Kompas.com also provided 1995), 67]. Generally, tolerance refers to willingness arguments by displaying support of their opinion to accept with open minded. According to from experts who argue that Ahok’s speech is not UNESCO, tolerance meansrespect, acceptance and contain of defamation(Rohmadi and Siswanta, 2017). 1889 ICRI 2018 - International Conference Recent Innovation On the contrary, the report presented in and Garis (Islamic Reformist movement). These Hidayatullah.com framed that the case of Basuki organizations objected to GKI Kemah Injil Tjahaja Purnama is the act of blasphemy and Indonesia because they use regular house to perform therefore should be sentenced. The analysis for this their religious rituals. In addition, the sealing also news is using syntactic, script, thematic, and occurred to the church of HKBP Betania, GKII rhetorical structure. In hidayatullah.com the news Jemaat Filadelfia, Gereja Pantekosta Jemaat fill with argument related to the interpretation