A PROMINENT Bangladeshi Muslim cleric with a huge online following has issued a fatwa against people using Facebook's "haha" emoji to mock people.
Ahmadullah, who uses one name, has more than three million followers on Facebook and YouTube. He regularly appears on television shows to discuss religious issues in the country.
Last Saturday (19), he posted a three-minute video in which he discussed the mocking of people on Facebook and issued a fatwa, an Islamic edict, explaining how it is "totally haram (forbidden)" for Muslims.
"Nowadays we use Facebook's haha emojis to mock people," Ahmadullah said in the video, which has since been viewed more than two million times.
"If we react with haha emojis purely out of fun and the same was intended by the person who posted the content, it's fine. But if your reaction was intended to mock or ridicule people who posted or made comments on social media, it's totally forbidden in Islam," Ahmadullah added.
"For God's sake, I request you to refrain from this act. Do not react with 'haha' to mock someone. If you hurt a Muslim, he may respond with bad language that would be unexpected."
Thousands of followers reacted to his video, most of them positively, although several hundred made fun of it - using the "haha" emoji.
Ahmadullah is among Bangladesh's new crop of internet-savvy Islamic preachers whose commentaries on religious and social issues are hugely popular, drawing millions of views per video.
Some have earned notoriety with bizarre claims on the origin of the coronavirus. A few are accused of preaching hatred, while several have turned into celebrities for their fun-filled videos.
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During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)