Dar Al-Iftaa’s efforts to Limit the Effect of Dangerous Video Games
CAIRO: Dar Al-Iftaa, one of Egypt’s leading Islamic organizations, is attempting to increase awareness of the possible adverse effects that dangerous video games and applications may have on young people.
According to a recent study by the Global Fatwa Index, 33% of the fatwas issued this year on technology matters were concerned with the topic. Many emphasized the need to safeguard minors from exploitation and violent or other harmful content.
A Double-Edged Sword
According to Sheikh Awaida Othman of Dar Al-Iftaa, the leading Islamic legal organization for giving fatwas under the Egyptian government, video games and contemporary applications are a double-edged sword.
Despite their capacity for mental development, they have several drawbacks, chief among which are mobile addiction, the expansion of violence, social exclusion, the prevalence of discontent, and psychiatric problems.
The most recent anticipatory fatwas issued by the Egyptian Dar Al-Iftaa addressed the problem of purchasing and selling virtual goods in video games since it is allowed but subject to restrictions. The game shouldn’t become a habit you play every day, turning it into an addiction that wears you out mentally and affects your health.
Adverse Effects of Dangerous Video Games
Othman said that far-right movements in the West depended on video games to enlist and exploit children and teenagers, reiterating a fatwa index finding that some applications might be used for political exploitation.
In other online dangerous video games, he said, players may establish private networks and speak without being monitored, much like members of radical groups such as Daesh can.
According to him, the most notable of them was Fortnite, one of the most-played fighting games worldwide.
ISIS (another term for Daesh) uses video gaming platforms to attract young men and kids. It adheres to the same terrorist ideology by employing underground lines of communication to maintain anonymity, according to Othman.
How To Solve the Issue?
Religious organizations, families, and educational and media groups must cooperate and pay attention to the warnings regarding video games, according to Sheikh Sayed Abdulaziz, secretary-general of Egyptian Family House, an initiative launched in 2011 to promote religious tolerance.
He told Arab News that the constant and rapid growth of video games and mobile applications is challenging to manage. He calls for religious institutions to allocate staff to track these developments and publish proactive fatwas.
Working in tandem with religious organizations, the media, schools, and universities is necessary to address the lack of fatwas linked to video games directly reaching the youth and children category.
He continued by saying that to stop the dissemination of information among young people unsuitable from a religious or national standpoint, they must also monitor new applications and ensure that they abide by social norms.
About Dar Al-Iftaa
In the Islamic world, Dar al-Ifta al Misriyyah is regarded as one of the first institutions for establishing fatwas. It was founded in 1895 by Khedive Abbas Hilmi’s high command and associated with the ministry of justice on November 21st, 1895, by Decree No. 10.