Ambassador of Ukraine for Indonesia, Vasyl Hamianin said Russia spreading propaganda aimed at undermining the unity of Muslims around the world.
This form of Russian propaganda includes messages that are claimed to be fake and provocative, to be spread on social media.
“Russia is not only attacking Ukraine on the battlefield, using bombs, tanks and missiles. However, the Russian attack started by spreading propaganda that was unprecedented,” Hamianin said via text message, Thursday (3/3).
He further said that the propaganda also aims to plant the seeds of anger in the hearts of the Muslim world community, against Ukraine.
Hamianin urged the Indonesian Muslim community not to believe the false and provocative news made by Russia.
Moreover, in the current digital era, such informational propaganda messages have gone viral and have the potential to defile people’s hearts with hatred and indignation.
“Dear Indonesian Muslim brothers and sisters, please do not believe the false news and propaganda provocations made by the Russian dictator,” he said.
He said the Muslim community in Ukraine currently consists of 2 million people, and lives happily together with other ethnic and religious groups.
Then he asked the Indonesian people to pray for the peace and prosperity of every nation around the world. He hopes the war in Ukraine will stop soon.
“Let us together pray for the peace and prosperity of every nation around the world. May this brutal war against humanity be stopped immediately, God willing, God bless you,” said Hamianin.
Previously, Russia had been secretly milling about in cyberspace to spread propaganda. Russia is also said to have deployed a number of groups to spread hate speech and incite the Ukrainian public on Facebook.
A former Facebook employee, Frances Hauge said this was done to fuel division and weaken democracy in Ukraine.
Yet Facebook can regulate the use of the platform in Ukraine to quell incitement from Russian groups, according to a Politico Europe report.
(can/asa)
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