On Sunday, the Al-Azhar Global Center for Electronic Fatwa (religious opinion) warned against the “blackout” or “scarf” challenge, a recent TikTok phenomenon that has users record themselves suffocating in dark rooms.
The challenge is similar to “The Choking Game”, which has been around since at least the mid-90s and can cause temporary unconsciousness, loss of brain cells, and death.
A statement by the center on its official Facebook page implied that the game was a new low for technology, as it goes against religion by encouraging self-destruction and death.
According to the statement, some dangerous smart phone applications and games are responsible for tampering with beliefs, destroying values and ethics, and corrupting families and societies.
It added that some users have died of the challenge recently, including a ten year old girl in Italy.
