Jihad Watch recently reported on the Muslim cleric who condemned Pokemon Go as un-Islamic. Abbas Shuman, deputy head of the Al-Azhar Islamic institution, referred to the game as “a ‘harmful mania’ which was similar to drinking alcohol.”
Now, Saudi Arabia has revived a 15-year-old fatwa to prohibit Pokeman “in response to public calls for guidance on the newly launched smartphone version of the game”, Pokeman Go.
The kingdom’s Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta determined that gambling and evolution is promoted in the game, which is rejected by Islam. But beyond this, Saudi Arabia’s top clerical body determined that “most cards on the game carried symbols of ‘deviant’ religions and organisations, such as ‘international Zionism’ and Israel, Christian crosses, Freemasonry, and symbols from Japan’s native Shinto religion.”
Note how Saudi Arabia really views Zionism, Israel and Christianity, despite its impassioned plea for “dialogue among Muslims, Christians and Jews,” even calling Christians and Jews “brothers,” and its sponsorship of interfaith initiatives in the West.
“Saudi revives 15-year-old anti-Pokemon fatwa”, Breitbart, July 20, 2016:
Riyadh (AFP) – Saudi Arabia’s top clerical body has revived a 2001 religious edict prohibiting Pokemon in response to public calls for guidance on the newly launched smartphone version of the game.
The augmented-reality game Pokemon Go, which is based on a 1996 Nintendo game, has created a global frenzy as players roam the real world looking for cartoon monsters.
Despite Pokemon Go not yet being officially available in ulta-conservative Saudi Arabia, many have downloaded it illegally and have started hunting for virtual “pocket monsters”.
The kingdom’s Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta said in its latest announcement on its website that it has republished a 2001 edict on the game after “receiving many questions” on it from the public.
The 15-year-old fatwa said the game was too much like gambling and that the concept of its characters appeared to be based on Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, which is rejected by Islam.
It also said most cards on the game carried symbols of “deviant” religions and organisations, such as “international Zionism” and Israel, Christian crosses, Freemasonry, and symbols from Japan’s native Shinto religion.
The Pokemon game was un-Islamic as it contains polytheism, said the edict, without specifically referring to the popular smartphone app…