Fortnite faces ban in Indonesia after minister brands it blasphemous to Muslims

Viral footage that has prompted uproar across the Muslim world shows a character with a scythe walking around a complex resembling the Great Mosque of Mecca

As Minister Sandiaga Uno orders a review, some players fear other games – like Minecraft – in which people can create their own worlds could also be banned

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A still from the viral YouTube footage showing a Fortnite player in a complex that resembles the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Photo: YouTube

Published: 7:06pm, 7 Jul 2021Updated: 7:09pm, 7 Jul 2021

The video game Fortnite could be banned in Indonesia after a minister branded it “blasphemous” for depicting Islamic holy sites.

The news follows an uproar sparked by viral footage showing a scene from the game in which a character carrying a scythe walks around a complex resembling the Great Mosque of Mecca, the Masjid al-Haram, complete with a Kaaba-like structure in the centre.

The Kaaba, which Muslims around the world face towards to pray, is widely considered the most sacred site in Islam and its depiction has caused anger across the Muslim world and particularly in the Middle East. While the offending footage has been around since 2019, it appears to only recently have come to widespread attention.

Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno on Monday branded the game as “blasphemous”, warning it could trigger religious intolerance in the world’s most populous Muslim majority nation.

Sandiaga said he understood gamers were being encouraged to attack the Kaaba icon, though the viral footage does not show this happening.

“We face the Kaaba at least five times a day, from wherever we are in the world to practice shalat [prayers]. I was told that in this game there was an icon that resembles the Kaaba that must be destroyed by the players in order to earn new weapons and level up,” Sandiaga said.