Feb 4, 2010 →
By
H.A.R.
→
Filed Under:
Just News
If you're married, happily married, would you even think of starting a relationship with someone else?
I believe if someone is happily married, sane and reasonable, knows right from wrong, the thought wouldn't even cross their mind!
Why this introduction? Well, Al Azhar has decided to release their newest Fatwa, banning Egyptians from connection to Facebook, because after deep thought and research, they found out that 1 in 5 divorce cases in Egypt is caused by one of the spouses getting into a relationship with a past lover or finding new love on Facebook!!!
Update after the jump ...
I simply find this Fatwa to be silly and useless!
If someone wants to have an affair, Facebook wouldn't be the only and easiest way!
People meet other people on the job, in the cafe, at the superstore, in the gym ... etc.
So, why not ban people from going to the cafe for that innocent cup of Java too?
The problem isn't with Facebook, it's in the people themselves!
Not all people will drift after emotions and get hooked with past lovers and ruin their life on Facebook, unless they have something wrong in their lives, lack something substantial in their marriage or are not reasonable, mature enough adults!
Facebook isn't the devil behind 'ruining the Muslim family' (as Al Azhar puts it), because if the family knows it's religion and boundaries, such trivialities won't be an issue.
Families have been ruined by hundreds of other ways and serious issues even before Facebook set foot on the net!
I'm sorry, but I don't find banning all Egyptians from Facebook and considering them sinners if they log onto Facebook the solution to life's problems and divorces!
If you disagree with me, please state your argument and try to explain why such a Fatwa would be of such great importance!
Update:
Our reader Sam has pointed our attention to an article on foreignpolicy.com that rebukes the claims that Al Azhar banned the use of Facebook.
Unfortunately, at the time I did my research for this article, there were only tens of reports backing up the news! Al Azhar came a tad bit late in denying the claims and today I was only able to find one article in Arabic, over at almesryoon.com that clarifies the issue.
Al Azhar sheikh, Abdul Hamid Al Atrash released a statement saying that he didn't ban the use of Facebook and that what is Haram depends on the purpose of using Facebook and the Internet in general.
If you're using Facebook or any other site to benefit, learn more and make a living, it's not Haram. While, if your purpose is looking for unacceptable relationships or some p0rn, then it's definitely Haram and you're definitely a sinner.
hahaha good one
I totally agree..lol and that should also mean that you're a sinner for living in 2010 then.. ohh ..never mind.
Wow, Just Wow..... Remind me not to take my laptop with me back to the caves, who knows playing solitaire and minesweeper might be a sin too. ( Packs his bags and heads to the nearest dark cave available ).
Ukh! Bgd, Egypt is getting soo tight about things lately it doesn't make sense!!! FOR Nothing!!! Its fine I agree with this article, its completely pathetic facebook is not a sin! The world is full of sins, the second you step out of your home, everything is sin! lol
The problem is not facebook but it`s the person self...if you are really happy in your marriage nobody or nothing can change your mind....but most people in Egypt don`t marry who they really love let`s be honoust most marriageges (i know) are just financial agreements and not marriage becuz they love eachother ...and most people don`t understand what it means to be married becuz you love the person they just wanna know where they are going to live how much they will get in gold and who will buy the furniture and how they get the most status ....GUYS THAT IS NOT MARRIAGE!!!!
I have a facebook account and im married and would not dream of starting a relationship with a man. I think to avoid a problem dont add anyone from the opposite sex.
i have a mate acutlly who is married with 3 kids and divorced her hubby after meeting a guy on facebook and on top of that took her hijab off, and my other mate her husband just will not allow her to do an account guess hes worried.
Same thing here, I am married and I have a facebook account and getting in another relationship doesn't even cross my mind, whether on Facebook OR anywhere else. Because the problem is not Facebook, the problem is the person even if he doesn't have internet at all, if he or she wants to cheat they can do it anywhere else.
It's just ridiculous!!!!
i totally agreeee
I agree wz u waleg.....ahmd egypt
2 anti ahzar articles in a row....steady on. You shouldn't accuse al azhar of anything; if you have an issue with a fatwa, you should just name the individual who issued it. Furthermore; how would they ban fb? It's impossible.
And just to prove my point...
'...the alleged issuer of the fatwa, Shaykh Abd al-Hamid al-'Atrash, denied the report. He never issued a fatwa against Facebook, he says -- indeed, he doesn't even know how to work the website, and how could he issue a fatwa on something he knows nothing about? (I'll refrain from any of the dozen obvious punchlines here.) Of course he advises against using Facebook or anything else for illicit ends like cheating on one's spouse, but that doesn't mean that he issued a fatwa against Facebook itself. Ismail Abu Haytham, media advisor to al-Azhar's Fatwa Committee, also said that the committee had issued no such fatwa. Maybe they are just backtracking in the face of the controversy, but it doesn't really look like it.'
foreignpolicy.com
Do your research before creating scandal. There are many sources nowadays trying to slander azhari sheikhs.
Seeing as this article is based on flawed information, it should be taken down.
With all due respect; there are already more than enough people in this world trying to make Islamists or Muslims look crazy.
to sam
alazahr people are not angels my dear... u shld read and digg abt thier history
no more
I must agree with Sam on this one :D
They are not angels, no where close to it. But the article isn't accurate in terms of the issue discussed.
To ali,
I didn't claim anyone was an angel son. Read! The difference between people like you & people like me is I like to clarify wrong from right, fiction from fact...Don't jump on the believe anything u read bandwagon. It is wrong to tarnish someones name when you don't have even 1 grain of evidence.
If these false accusations were made anywhere in the west, azhar could have sued 2 clear their name. But in the Arab world unfortunately it doesn't work quite like that. And no I don't like the advise all azhari sheikhs give, however many of them are decent. Like I said; they are INDIVIDUALS.
* advice rather
Yusuf Al-Qaradawi has over 80 000 followers on fb.
Amr Khaled has almost half a million.
Wagdi Ghoneim has over 1000.
...there r lots more; Azhari educated & non Azhari!
My God. I have facebook so does my husband (who's egyptian btw), and this is just funny. If someone cheats you in faceebook, that person will cheat anywhere she/he is. and "loving" someone else so suddenly shows that their marriage and relationship wasn't strong enough. that's sooo funny, I could never imagine there to speak to someone else than my husband
ok, so you know that they did not state the fatwa....put the truth out there and take ur false stated article off. I agree anything used for good is good and anything used for bad is bad. It depends on the person using it...
Allahuma arenee il haq haqqa war urzuknee itiba3aa wa aranee il batal batalla war urzuknee ijtinabaa....
noooo if i married and looking for relationship in face book then i might be killed, i dont want that. she will be everywhere if am married and i wont know shes there. i shouldn't enter in facebook in the first place :( cause this woman i met in facebook she keep send me love letters and thank god didnt give her my number, well am trying to tell her that i cant be her friend cause am still concentrate on my school and my job and am not looking for relationship right now. i dont know what to do ya rabi