Al-Azhar University: famed center of Islamic learning, architectural staple of Cairo, Egypt, enemy of Pokémon. The Jordanian website Al Wakeel has reported that scholars at Al-Azhar have declared Pokémon Go forbidden.
Pokémon Go has grown immensely popular over the past few weeks, including in the Middle East where people from the frontlines with Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq to the Israeli Knesset have posted pics of the battling digital creatures from their phone. The game allows users to search for Pokémon on their phone in a modified reality game, picturing the Pokémon on the user’s camera. You may then capture them and then train them, even battle them with other players.
The site cited the opinions of Sheikh Abbas Shoman, who apparently said the game makes people careless while walking in the street, and will create problems with the police and at home.
Al Wakeel further reported that Muhammad all-Shahat al-Jundi-member of the group for Islamic research at the university-claimed the game is a takes too much time to play, lacks a clear benefit and perhaps most importantly distracts people from their religious obligations.
Apparently all this was enough for some Al-Azhar scholars to forbid the game. But will this stop Muslims from playing? Amman, Beirut, and Baghdad are all known to have large numbers of people roaming the streets attempting to catch ‘em all.
Others in the Arab world have criticized the game as well. One Lebanese army officer claimed Pokémon Go is a ploy by the Mossad-Israel’s intelligence agency-to spy on Arabs.
Perhaps “sharif don’t like it,” but the people love Pokémon.
AL
