Misleading info on Islam via Internet can confuse Muslims - Jakim

A deluge of misleading information on Islam via the internet can be confusing to Muslims, a symposium on new media preaching, was told Wednesday.

Islamic Development Department Malaysia (Jakim) director-general Tan Sri Othman Mustapha said psychological warfare targeting young Muslims if not tackled, could lead to religious conflicts which would be a bane to the country.

"These people are using information technology to lull young Muslims into straying from the true Islamic faith.

"The authorities and families should use applications or devices to block the sources of negative information on Islam," he said when opening the Implications of New Media Preaching Symposium, here.

Othman said information communication technology has become so powerful that the internet has taken over the role of providing information to society from television.

"Technology has given rise to new terms such as nomophobia, fomo syndrome, phone pinching or phone phubbing."

He urged Muslim scholars to improve the traditional method of preaching by utilising information communication technology and the internet as it can prove to be more effective. -- BERNAMA