Jakarta, ThedailyID — Japan’s Foreign Ministry faced criticism after posting photos from an anti-terrorism drill that featured a simulated terrorist wearing headwear resembling a keffiyeh.
The ministry uploaded photos of the exercise on September 10. In one image, a person playing a terrorist appeared to wear a keffiyeh-like cloth while putting the head of a hostage role-player into a bag.
The images sparked criticism online. Several users argued that the portrayal could reinforce stereotypes linking Arabs or Muslims with terrorism.
“Dressing a terrorist character in clothing associated with a particular region is discriminatory,” one social media user wrote, demanding an apology and the removal of the images.
Another user questioned the purpose of the portrayal and accused the ministry of encouraging racism. Others described the costume as inappropriate and offensive.
Following the backlash, Japan’s Foreign Ministry removed the photos from its social media accounts. The ministry later clarified that the costume was not intended to represent any particular ethnic group, region, or religion.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the ministry took the criticism seriously during a press conference on Friday, September 18.
“We take various opinions seriously,” Motegi said.
The ministry explained that the anti-terrorism exercise was held amid growing awareness of the importance of security education for Japanese citizens traveling or living overseas.
The exercise took place at a government facility in Tokyo and was conducted by a private security company. The company said the simulation was designed to be as practical as possible, drawing lessons from the July 2016 terrorist attack at the Holey Artisan Cafe in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The attack lasted around 12 hours and killed 22 people, including seven Japanese nationals.
Japan has conducted similar anti-terrorism exercises since 2018.
