Indonesian clerics met at the Lirboyo Islamic boarding school to discuss, among other issues, possible guidelines for Muslim Facebook users. Fearing that Facebook, Indonesia’s most popular site, may encourage “pornographic chatter”, clerics considered an edict on the matter was necessary. “The clerics think it is necessary to set an edict on virtual networking, because this online relationship could lead to lust, which is forbidden in Islam,” said Nabil Haroen from Lirboyo.
Any such edict could be endorsed by the Ulema Council, who recently published prohibitions against smoking and Yoga. Contravention by Indonesian Muslims of any such fatwa is considered a sin.
apud AP ‘Indonesian clerics want rules for Facebook‘, Sydney Morning Herald (21/5/09)
