Fatwa frenzy…
(Daily Mail)– The monotonous drone of vuvuzelas that irritated almost all football fans during the World Cup is OK, and it doesn’t matter how much noise a donkey makes, it musn’t be touched.
But buy a car raffle ticket and you could be in big trouble, and taking an afternoon nap gets the thumbs down.
That’s according to 350,000 Islamic religious decrees, called fatwas, being issued this year by Muslim scholars on their website in Abu Dhabi.
They cover a vast range of personal and religious questions submitted online, over the phone or via text to the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (Awqaf).
Vuvuzelas are permissible in soccer stadiums providing they don’t exceed 100 decibels which could damage people’s hearing, and it is illegal to kill a noisy donkey, bird or other animal, no matter how annoying they are.
Body paint, henna and make-up are allowed because they are deemed to be temporary, but tattoos are ruled out because they are permanent.
By November 1 Awqaf had issued 298,277 fatwas this year, with most inquiries made by phone. The centre was averaging about 1,000 fatwas a day.