Fatwa: Saudi Clerics Say Pokémon Go Violates Islamic Beliefs

King Salman of Saudi

Saudi Arabia’s top clerics have issued a fatwa against the game

by Emma Ockerman

Saudi Arabia’s top clerics have renewed a 2001 fatwa against Pokémon, following the release of the mobile application Pokémon Go, saying the globally-popular game violates Islamic bans on gambling and “forbidden images.”

The edict, issued by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars, essentially declares that the newer version of the game should be viewed similarly to its trading cards, USA Today reports. Earlier this year, chess was forbidden in Saudi Arabia for similar reasons. Read full in Time