REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Head of State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Budi Gunawan said that cases of violence against religious communities, which had occurred in some parts of Indonesia, are not interconnected with each other. He made the statement in Jakarta on Thursday after a meeting with Vice President Jusuf Kalla in the latter's office.

However, there are certain parties who deliberately distort the facts by spreading the news of violence against religious people into false news or "hoax," he added.

Santa Lidwina church, Bedog, Sleman, Yogyakarta. An outsider carries a sword and attack during a mass service on Sunday (Feb 11) morning.

"One case has nothing to do with the other, but there are some individuals who twist this, case by case. Our assumption is that they aim to create anxiety among the people, which is why they turn the news into 'hoax.'

There were some old issues that were also raised again, including the issue of Communism," he stated.

Several cases of violence against religious communities have recently occurred in a number of areas in Indonesia, including the Special Region of Yogyakarta, East Java, and West Java.

People pray for Preacher Prawoto who died after being brutally attacked near al Muhajirin mosque, Margaasih, Bandung, West Java, on Thursday (Feb 1)

The spread of news on social media about cases of violence against religious people had prompted the Intelligence Agency to appeal to the public to maintain objectivity and clear thinking rather than being provoked by information that cannot be confirmed based on its credibility.

"Therefore, we should be sensitive to it and not let ourselves get caught in this game. People should not be easily hooked, and everything must be clear," he pointed out. 

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