The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh Abdul Aziz Al-Shaykh, warned Muslims about the dangers of social networking sites (facebook / twitter) which may contain inaccurate information about Islamic teachings. He reminded that Muslims "don't have to" use social media as a source of information to understand Islam.
"Muslims must be wary of social media, including Facebook and Twitter, at a time when they do not know the source of the comments and statements on these sites," he stressed. "Twitter (a lot) is used to issue fatwas [religious fatwas] without strong arguments," said Mufti.
Social media, said the Saudi Mufti, is also often used to spread lies by some who seek fame by insulting and demeaning others, ”he said in a Friday sermon in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
He said, Muslims must be aware of the danger. "This site may not be used to accuse and slander people," he exclaimed. "Muslims must be careful not to be drawn into wrongdoing and must engage in constructive criticism."
A similar warning was expressed by the leader of the world's Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI. In a speech in Rome, Italy, he said social media can be dangerous for its users, although he praised their involvement in people's daily lives.
"In short phrases, often nothing more than a verse from the Bible that can be communicated, provided they take part in the conversation and do not neglect to develop their own inner life," Pope Benedict XVI said in his message for the 46th World Day of Social Communications.
“The current communication process is largely driven by questions seeking answers. Search engine and social networking sites have become the starting point of communication for many people looking for advice, ideas, information and answers, "he said.
The Pope stressed that today people are being treated to a variety of answers to questions they never asked and to needs of which they are not aware. (Mel / Bikyamasr.com / ddhongkong.org). *
