Saudi Cleric Bans Use Of Snapchat Filters Calling Them ‘Sinful’

A prominent Saudi cleric has prohibited the use of filters on the popular Snapchat app claiming they are “sinful”.

Nasser al-Omar, who has more than two million Twitter followers, called on the faithful to avoid “distorting the image of the human face and the creation of God just to make people laugh”.

عبث الإنسان بصورة وجهه يشتمل على محاذير عدة، تصوير منهي عنه، وتشويه لخلق الله، وكذب لإضحاك الناس: (ومن اتقى الشبهات فقد استبرأ لدينه وعرضه).

— أ.د.ناصر العمر (@naseralomar) May 15, 2016

Even though he did not name the app, Twitter followers were quick to link Omar’s references to “censored photography” to the app.

Some of them tweeted back a picture of the cleric’s face with the flower crown lens, which debuted during the first weekend of Coachella festival.

@naseralomar ? pic.twitter.com/OEhl69KiSW

— فاطِمة البلوشي (@FatooshaToota) May 16, 2016

@naseralomar ما رأي سماحتك؟ pic.twitter.com/BCec82HSQy

— هاله العطاوي .. (@hall_otiby) May 15, 2016

@naseralomar

فعلاً يا شيخ فالناس لا يعلمون ان كل شيء في الدنيا عبارة عن شبهات و حرام والله المُستعان pic.twitter.com/eZ3dUavFSx

— 3thary (@3th1r) May 15, 2016

Saudi Arabia has the highest percentage of people aged 16 to 20 using the mobile app in the Middle East, according to Global Web Index.