According to one Muslim cleric in Saudi Arabia, online chatting between men and women who are not blood relations or married to each other is considered haram, and should be forbidden.
Saudi daily al-Eqitisadiya reports that Sheikh Abdullah al-Mutlaq, a member of the Saudi Senior Scholars Committee, decreed that online chatting through social media and instant messaging apps fell under the precept of khulwa, a situation where unmarried men and women arrange to be alone in a secluded area.
On a local radio show, al-Mutlaq said, “devils are present when women talk to men,” and that women should never speak to strange men, even with the intent of asking for advice or guidance.
The article reporting al-Mutlaq’s views unsurprisingly generated incredulity and outrage from Saudi internet users.
Sort of puts the issues we face here in Malaysia into perspective, doesn’t it?
