Saudi Cleric Ruins Winter by Declaring Snowmen Anti-Islamic

There have been some very creative snowmen (and snow camels) photos coming out of Saudi Arabia as the region deals with a recent snow dump. So count on a cleric to come ruin their fun. From Al-Arabiya:

A prominent Saudi Arabian cleric has whipped up controversy by issuing a religious ruling forbidding the building of snowmen, described them as anti-Islamic.

Asked on a religious website if it was permissible for fathers to build snowmen for their children after a snowstorm in the country’s north, Sheikh Mohammed Saleh al-Munajjid replied: “It is not permitted to make a statue out of snow, even by way of play and fun.”

Quoting from Muslim scholars, Sheikh Munajjid argued that to build a snowman was to create an image of a human being, an action considered sinful under the kingdom’s strict interpretation of Sunni Islam.

“God has given people space to make whatever they want which does not have a soul, including trees, ships, fruits, buildings and so on,” he wrote in his ruling.

That provoked swift responses from Twitter users writing in Arabic and identifying themselves with Arab names.

“They are afraid for their faith of everything … sick minds,” one Twitter user wrote.

Another posted a photo of a man in formal Arab garb holding the arm of a “snow bride” wearing a bra and lipstick. “The reason for the ban is fear of sedition,” he wrote.

A third said the country was plagued by two types of people: “A people looking for a fatwa (religious ruling) for everything in their lives, and a cleric who wants to interfere in everything in the lives of others through a fatwa,” the user wrote.

A few of the soulful snowmen and snowcamels being crafted by rebellious and creative Saudis:

Astagfirullah :P The man is committing shirk :P #Snowman an Anti Islamic figure. rofl lol Lmao http://t.co/6FuauvZPBU pic.twitter.com/3NTkqKhS62

— Mirza Arsalan (@Arsalanrafiq22) January 13, 2015

A snowman in #Saudi Arabia ! pic.twitter.com/i9PhWygFeH — Fahad Nazer (@fanazer) January 13, 2015

Saudi Snowman pic.twitter.com/2cijWaKG1M — نبيل المعلمي (@ALMOALAMI) January 11, 2015

Love the Saudi snow camel! http://t.co/PCahLRE1XF via @alwasatnewsly pic.twitter.com/5THqKvkAKB

— Michael Aron (@HMAMichaelAron) January 11, 2015

Snow camel in Saudi arabia via /r/pics http://t.co/9zMCimNgCr #pics pic.twitter.com/TywkrYh482

— Reddit Pics (@redditpicsbot) January 12, 2015

‘not permitted to make a statue of snow, even by way of play and fun’ Arab cleric #NoSnowman http://t.co/wbfFpumE27 pic.twitter.com/LzkCoUbxY5

— Gargi Rawat (@GargiRawat) January 13, 2015