Egyptian Fatwa forbids Muslims from using Facebook. Egyptian Facebook users numbered over 2.4 million users. Very soon, Malaysia authority will come up with similar fatwa. Personally, I think is all about your intention (niat) in using Facebook to broaden your social networking skills.Cairo, 4 Feb. (AKI) - A top Egyptian cleric has issued a fatwa forbidding use of the popular social networking site Facebook. Muslims using such sites must be considered "sinners" said the religious edict's author, sheikh Abdel Hamid al-Atras. Statistics show divorce rates have rise since the advent of Facebook and it has sharply increased marital infidelity, he claimed.
"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, one of the highest authorities in Sunni Islam.
"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 fatwa 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 concluded.
Video clip on whether Facebook is Halal or Haram
Facebook concerns over Halal and Haram in social networking, discussed with Yusuf Estes while on iEra Dawah tour in UK.
Facebook Haram? MUI Indonesia commented
BANJARMASIN, KOMPAS.com — Ketua Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) Kalimantan Selatan (Kalsel) Prof H Asywadie Syukur Lc berpendapat, keberadaan Facebook (salah satu sarana komunikasi lewat dunia maya) bisa haram dan tidak.
Mantan Rektor Institut Agama Islam Negeri (IAIN) Antasari Banjarmasin itu nampaknya berhati-hati dalam mengeluarkan pendapat mengenai Facebook yang belakangan ramai menjadi pembicaraan di berbagai kalangan di Indonesia, demikian dilaporkan, Minggu (24/4).
"Kita tidak bisa memfatwakan Facebook itu haram atau sebaliknya, kecuali melihat kontekstualnya," kata alumnus Universitas Al Azhar Kairo Mesir itu.
Guru Besar IAIN Antasari tersebut mengingatkan tuntutan agama Islam, yang antara lain menyatakan, segala sesuatu tergantung atau bermula dari niat orang itu.
Sebagai contoh, pemanfaatan Facebook dalam rangka berkomunikasi guna menggali atau tukar ilmu pengetahuan yang bermanfaat bagi kemaslahatan umat, hal itu tidak bisa dibilang haram.
Namun, bila pemanfaatan Facebook untuk berkomunikasi dalam hal-hal yang terlarang, baik secara hukum positif di Indonesia, maupun menurut norma-norma Islam, maka penggunaan sarana tersebut bisa dikategorikan haram.
"Hal tersebut sama saja dengan kita memakai sepeda motor. Kalau tujuan baik dan benar, maka tak ada larangan menggunakannya, tapi sebaliknya, bila untuk tujuan negatif atau dimanfaatkan dalam melakukan perbuatan jahat, maka hukum Islam pun tak membolehkan," ujarnya.
"Jadi kalau saya pribadi melihat kedudukan Facebook itu haram atau tidak, maka akan kita lihat dari segi manfaat dan mudarat. Kalau manfaatnya lebih besar untuk kebajikan atau kemaslahatan umat, maka pemanfaatan Facebook bagi kaum Muslim boleh-boleh saja. Tapi sebaliknya jika negatif, maka itu haram," ungkap Asywadie Syukur.
Statistics on Facebook users from the Middle-East.
According to statistics published on February 1, 2010 on “Facebakers.com”, the number of Tunisian facebook users, has reached 1, 133,400 million, including 59% males and 40% females, with a population penetration rate of 10%, one of the highest in the world.
By comparison, Morocco with a population of some 35 million people has 1,280,860 facebook users, and Egypt whose population totals 81 million people counts 2,431,040 users. However, the penetration rate for Morocco is 4.1% and Egypt lags further behind with 2.98% (Source: Egypt.com News)
There are about ten million active Facebook users in the Middle East and North Africa region, making up about 2.5% of the social networking site's total base of 400 million active users worldwide. (Source: ITP: MENA region accounts for 2.5% of Facebook users)
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