The news item, “Pokemon mania near Holy Kaaba slammed” (July 28), calls for some serious thinking. The Pokemon Go craze is sweeping cities across the globe. It has not even spared holy places like the Kaaba. Much is being talked in the media about the game, the victims of which are mostly youngsters. Be it early morning or the middle of night, youngsters get carried away by it, little realizing that they are being led astray.
Experts from across the world have been quoted by the media as saying that the Pokemon game has more harmful effects than one can imagine. For example, anything that is popular easily attracts the attention of hackers.
A security firm has reportedly said that for some iPhone users, the game gets full access to Google accounts. “It allows the gaming company to read your e-mails, something that should never happen,” it has said. This is a matter of serious concern.
Moreover, the Pokemon mania near the Kaaba offends the sanctity of the sacred place. Mataf is the area where prayers are answered, worshippers find closeness to Allah and where millions of Muslims from around the world turn up to perform Haj and Umrah. The presence of cartoon characters, even if they are virtual, near the Kaaba should be unequivocally condemned and stopped.
Citizens and expatriates in the Kingdom can easily defeat the evil design by boycotting the crazy game not only near the holy places but in every part of the country. Simply say good-bye to Pokemon.
Unholy craze
