Banda Aceh – the Aceh Ulema Consultative Council (MPU) – an assembly of religious leaders in Aceh – have issued a sticker prohibiting people from playing online gambling and the game Player Unknown's Battle Grounds (PUBG). The stickers will be put up on all coffee shops (warkop) and cafes in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.
The sticker carries part of the text of Aceh MPU Edict Number 3/2019 which reads, "The Law States that playing the game PUBG and similar games are haram [forbidden under Islamic law]".
Then there is a sticker with text from Aceh MPU Edicat Number 1/2016 which reads, "Online gambling is a game of placing bets in money or other forms, through the mediat of the internet and the law declares that this is haram".
Aceh MPU Deputy Chairperson Tgk Faisal Ali said the sticker has been distributed around Banda Aceh because there are still many people who play these types of games in coffee shops. He conceded that prohibiting the game PUBG would be a big challenge.
"In the future we will indeed face an even bigger challenge related to PUBG, because it has been included in a sports regulation on sports which will be contested, including the Aceh PON [National Sports Week]", Ali told journalists on Saturday December 5.
Ali claimed to have received a letter from the chairperson of e-Sport requesting a meeting, although the meeting has not managed to happen yet.
"Because in 2024 it will come to Medan [North Sumatra] and Aceh, we will be the hosts (of PON), from the start we have warned the KONI [National Sports Council] chairperson, not to let there be sports contested in Aceh which conflict with the values of Islamic law", he said.
In relation to the stickers with the MPU Aceh edicts, Ali said only that they had printed 100 copies. If it is felt to be effective, then the MPU Aceh will produce more stickers prohibiting online gambling and PUBG.
"Hopefully this is just the start, if we see that it is effecting and gives big benefits, in 2021 we will increase the number again", he said.
Earlier, Aceh ulama (Islamic leaders) had already issued an edict declaring PUBG to be haram. (dra/fra)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Ulama Aceh Sebar Stiker Larangan Main PUBG ke Semua Kafe".]