The absurdity in religious beliefs has reached its tipping point as it seems. A Bangladeshi cleric has issued a fatwa against Facebook’s ‘haha’ emoticon. As bizarre as it sounds, the cleric issued the fatwa by saying that if someone reacts with haha emojis purely out of fun and the same is also intended by the person who posted the content, then it’s fine, however, if it’s intended to mock or ridicule people, “totally haram (forbidden)” in Islam, he said.
The particular cleric is a well-known figure in Bangladesh who regularly appears on television shows to discuss religious issues in the Muslim-majority country. He has about more than three million followers on Facebook and YouTube and posted a 3- minute long video where he talked about the emoticon. He said, “For God’s sake I request you to refrain from this act. Do not react with ‘haha’ to mock someone. If you hurt a Muslim he may respond with bad language that would be unexpected.”
He is among the many internet-savvy Islamic preachers that have drawn the interest of thousands of followers. His recent video garnered both positive responses as well trolls that reacted using the ‘haha’ emoticon.
