Pokemon GO 'is un-Islamic', Muslim cleric suggests

Banned: Cleric Abbas Shuman likened the craze to drinking
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Sebastian Mann16 July 2016

A Muslim scholar has suggested Pokemon GO is forbidden in Islam.

Egyptian cleric Abbas Shuman, deputy head of the Al-Azhar Islamic institution, labelled the game a "harmful mania" and likened it to drinking alcohol, a practice prohibited under strict interpretations of the religion.

In remarks reported by Gulf News, he said: “This game makes people look like drunkards in the streets and on the roads while their eyes are glued to the mobile screens leading them to the location of the imaginary Pokemon in the hope of catching it.

“If such a game can deceive youngsters, I do not know where have gone the minds of adults, who can be hit by a car while being busy searching for Pokemon."

The augmented reality smartphone app sees users trying to catch virtual monsters as they move around the real world.

Mr Shuman added: “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?”

Some wayward users have run into trouble playing the game, including a group of children who got lost in caves while hunting Pokemon.

Earlier today, footage emerged of hordes of players stampeding through New York's Central Park chasing the rare Vaporeon.

The game has not officially launched in Egypt but many users have reportedly managed to trick servers into allowing them to download the app.

Mr Shuman's comments sparked widespread criticism on social media, with some suggesting it must be a joke while others questioned why their local mosques were "Pokestops".

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