Saudi cleric forbids selfies with cats

SAUDI ARABIA — A prominent Saudi cleric practically hissed at the idea of people taking selfies with cats.

To be fair, Sheikh Saleh Bin Fawzan Al-Fazwan, a member of the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars, is no fan of selfies with any animal, or even selfies at all, because they all constitute photography.

The selfie ban remarks came in a televised appearance in mid-April and were translated by The Middle East Media Research Institute, according to The Washington Post.

“The cats don’t matter here,” the cleric said. “Taking pictures is prohibited if not for a necessity, not with cats, not with dogs, not with wolves, not with anything.”

Wahhabism, an ultraconservative branch of Sunni Islam, forbids common Western practices. A report earlier this year alleged that a Saudi cleric declared that chess should be banned in the country because it promotes gambling.

Not all people in Saudi Arabia follow such strict edicts. Selfies are common, and the country’s press agency uses photographs in its news coverage.

So while the cleric may be appalled at the idea of people taking photographs with their pets, Taylor Swift will continue to post gems like this on Instagram.

Cox Media Group