Press Esc to close
Tuesday 30 December 2014
News updated at 7:18 PM IST
Weather
Max: 23.2°C
Min : 17.5°C
In Bengaluru
Generally cloudy

Now, fatwa forbids Muslims from Facebook

Last updated: 05 February, 2010
Cairo, Feb 5 (IANS/AKI):

A top Egyptian cleric has issued a fatwa forbidding the use of the popular social networking site Facebook, saying Muslims using such sites must be considered ''sinners''.

According to the fatwa issued by Egyptian cleric Sheikh Abdel Hamid al-Atras, Facebook destroys the family because it encourages spouses to have relations with other people which break Islamic sharia law.


According to the fatwa issued by Egyptian cleric Sheikh Abdel Hamid al-Atras, Facebook destroys the family because it encourages spouses to have relations with other people which break Islamic sharia law.Statistics show that divorce rates have risen since the advent of Facebook and it has sharply increased marital infidelity, Sheikh Abdel Hamid al-Atras said.

"It's an instrument that destroys the family because it encourages spouses to have relations with other people which break Islamic sharia law," said al-Atrash, quoted by pan-Arab daily Al-Sharq al-Awsat.

He is the former head of the fatwa commission at Cairo's Al-Azhar University.

"While one or other of the spouses is at work, the other is chatting online with someone else, wasting their time and flouting the Sharia. This endangers the Muslim family," said al-Atrash.

The edict followed the publication earlier this week of a study claiming one out of five of divorces in Egypt had been caused by liaisons begun on Facebook or other social networking sites.

Like satellite TV, social networking sites are a "double-edged sword", al-Atrash said.
"While they permit the spread of Islam, they allow people forbidden love and relations.
"That is why whoever uses such websites must be considered a sinner," he said.


Go to Top

Photo Gallery
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (R) walks beside AirAsia's CEO Tony Fernandes...

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo (R) walks beside AirAsia's CEO Tony Fernandes...

Republic of Singapore Air Force personnel survey the waters during a search...

Republic of Singapore Air Force personnel survey the waters during a search...

Indian tribal children react to camera at a relief camp at Tinsuti village in Sonitpur district...

Indian tribal children react to camera at a relief camp at Tinsuti village in Sonitpur district...

Passengers crowd atop a train as they travel on a cold winter morning at a railway station...

Passengers crowd atop a train as they travel on a cold winter morning at a railway station...

Indian teammates celebrate the dismissal of Australia's Chris Rogers for 69 runs...

Indian teammates celebrate the dismissal of Australia's Chris Rogers for 69 runs...

Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawans marching during their passing-out parade ceremony in Bhopal...

Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawans marching during their passing-out parade ceremony in Bhopal...

People warm themselves near a bonfire as temperatures dropped in Amritsar on Monday...

People warm themselves near a bonfire as temperatures dropped in Amritsar on Monday...

School students paint their faces with new year greetings and wishes in Gurgaon on Monday...

School students paint their faces with new year greetings and wishes in Gurgaon on Monday...

Daughter of Bhavani at Malya hospital in Bengaluru on Monday. She is dead on Sunday...

Daughter of Bhavani at Malya hospital in Bengaluru on Monday. She is dead on Sunday...

People welcome the new year by writing 2015 on a snow covered field in Kufri in Shimla district...

People welcome the new year by writing 2015 on a snow covered field in Kufri in Shimla district...

Copyright 2014, The Printers (Mysore) Private Ltd., 75, M.G Road, Post Box 5331, Bengaluru - 560001
Tel: +91 (80) 25880000 Fax No. +91 (80) 25880523