Saudi Arabia religious body issues fatwa declaring Pokemon sinful and un-Islamic
Clerics say the imaginary creatures in the game promote gambling, Zionism and the worship of multiple false gods
THE world has been in the grip of Pokemon Go fever in recent weeks.
In the time since the game’s release, it has quickly gone viral – causing Nintendo to double in value.
The Saudi council that issued the fatwa is headed by the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh.
Al-Asheikh recently said social media was a sinful tool used to “spread and publish corruption in the land”.
But the Grand Mufti is not the only one to take issue with the Pokemon craze.
Egyptian cleric Abbas Shuman branded the game a “harmful mania”.
He also suggested the game could cause people to disrespect holy places, or draw them away from purer or more wholesome pursuits in life.
Shuman asked: “Will we find some lunatics walk into mosques, churches, prisons and military units in search of the missing [Pokemon]?
“Will people neglect their work and earning their living and devote themselves instead to hunting for Pokemon?”