Jakarta, June 19: A fatwa has been issued against the popular mobile game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds or PUBG in Indonesia. Banning PUBG, the fatwa says the online game insults Islam and evokes violent behaviour in players. The religious edict against PUBG is issued by the Ulema Council of Indonesia's Aceh on Wednesday. It calls for a nationwide ban on PUBG but recommends no sanctions on those who play.

The national body of the Ulema Council is mulling to issue a similar directive against PUBG. "Our fatwa says that PUBG and other similar games are haram (forbidden) because they can trigger violence and change people’s behaviour," Faisal Ali, deputy chairman of the Aceh Ulema Council, told news agency AFP. "It also insults Islam," he added. PUBG is gaining popularity in residents of Aceh, especially Muslims, which has alarmed religious officials. PUBG Lite Online Game Might Come To India By The End Of This Month.

"We’ve seen that children and even adults in Aceh are starting to get addicted to the game and they’re playing it everywhere on their mobile phones. It’s getting worrying," Ali was quoted as saying. Aceh is the only region in Indonesia with Islamic law and where public flogging is a common punishment for "offences" such as selling alcohol, adultery, and gay sex. PUBG, MOMO Now Legal in Gujarat's Rajkot; Ban Lifted by Police.

Often likened to the blockbuster book and film series “The Hunger Games”, PUBG pits marooned characters against each another in a virtual fight to the death, and has become one of the world’s most popular mobile games. Its owner in China, Tencent, has replaced it with a government-friendly alternative -- an anti-terrorist themed game named "Heping Jingying" or "Game for Peace" after they failed to get a government license to monetise the game.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 19, 2019 06:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).