New Saudi fatwa: No stealing WiFi
Twenty-first-century fatwas have become way more
technologically advanced than edicts of old against the likes of Salman Rushdie
and other supposed infidels. To wit: A Saudi scholar has issued a ruling
warning against the pilfering of WiFi, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. "Taking advantage of the WiFi service illegally or
without the knowledge of other beneficiaries or providers is not allowed,"
was the stern mandate of Ali Al Hakami, a member of the Islamic religious
council that advises the Saudi king.
He clarified that public WiFi, such as that found in parks,
hotels, and shopping malls, is A-OK to access. Gulf News points out that this
most recent ruling aligns with one issued in April by Dubai's Department of
Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities after a reader on its website asked
if it was OK to tap into a neighbor's WiFi.
"There is nothing wrong in using the line if your
neighbors allow you to do so, but if [they] don't allow you, you may not use
it," the department advised.
Not that this is the first odd fatwa to be proclaimed:
RT.com notes rulings have also come down from on high prohibiting emoji, women
sitting in chairs, and travel to Mars.
But some think it's pretty obvious no one should take
something from others without asking—and that instead of a fatwa, Saudis should
employ a more common-sense tactic: passwords. "We do not need a religious edict to pinpoint such
basic things," one online commenter wrote, per the Gulf News.
"Private property should remain private, especially [since] the owner paid
money for the services.
Nobody should just take advantage." (The academy
that issues the Nobels finally blasted the fatwa against Rushdie—27 years after
it was issued.)
This article originally appeared on Newser: Latest Saudi
Fatwa: Don't Rip Off WiFi
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