Penang Mufti : Declare Pokemon Go haram
The ban is to avoid harm and maintain public welfare, says Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor.
Wan Salim was quoted saying in Sinar Harian that a study by the mufti’s department has shown that the “negatives” of the game, outweighed the “positives.”
“Therefore, we hope the National Fatwa Council will ban the game as soon as possible,” he was quoted.
Pokémon Go (stylized Pokémon GO) is a location-based augmented reality mobile game developed for iOS and Android devices.
Making use of GPS and the camera of compatible devices, the free-to-play game allows players to capture, battle and train virtual creatures called Pokemon, who appear on device screens as though in the real world.
Wan Salim said that there were numerous channels in Islam which could be used to forbid the game, such as Sadd al Dharai (Blocking the means to evil), dar’ul mafasid (closing off the means that can lead to evil), maslahah ‘ammah (for public interest), as well as others.
He said the blocking of the game will be in the name of avoiding harm, and the maintenance of public welfare.
Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar was recently reported saying that police would monitor the Pokemon Go game, to see if it poses any security threat, before deciding on whether or not to ban it.
Indonesia recently banned the popular game among its civil servants while the Shinto Shrine of Izumo-taisha in Japan, has banned visitors from playing Pokemon Go on its premises.
Singapore Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim was also quoted saying that the game’s pros and cons needed to be studied carefully before a decision was made on it.
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Football giant Manchester United has also banned its players from playing the game before matches.