Fatwa Council declares SMS contests based on chance «haram» (unlawful)

The National Fatwa Council's declaration today that SMS-based contests containing elements of chance were haram (unlawful for Muslims) has been welcomed by several companies that run SMS-based contests, according to The Star. 

Though some companies contacted by the Star said such a decry was welcome and would "would weed out unscrupulous operators who make up the bulk of parties running SMS contests, the telcos were guarded in their comments on the fatwa, which may have a large impact on the local SMS market, as they operate legitimate contests.

Malaysians last year sent out over six billion SMS messages, and the latest statistics compiled by MCMC indicate the figure would be surpassed in 2004." 

emily | 5:34 PM | SMS and Gaming |
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