"It is not permitted to make a statue out of snow, even by way of play and fun," a prominent Saudi Arabian cleric Sheikh Mohammed Saleh al-Munajjid wrote on a religious website, as quoted by Reuters. The religious scholar has issued a ruling forbidding the building of snowmen, and snow animals for being anti-Islamic. Deferring to other Muslim scholars, Sheikh Munajjid argued the action is considered sinful under Sunni Islam for creating an image of a human being. People can "make whatever they want which does not have a soul," he added in his ruling, suggesting they build snow trees, fruit, ships or buildings. But – allegedly breaking the strict religious rules – Saudis in the country’s northern areas, notably in the Tabuk region, which have been hit by unusual weather this month, have braved the cold to build their interpretations of Western snowmen. While some constructed snow camels as a tribute to the local culture, others adorned their snowmen with traditional headscarves. Although there has been no government comment to the snowmen ban so far, a heated debate – mainly among nationals in the Gulf States – has broken out on social media, the Gulf News reported. "It has no value in our traditions, and those who are fascinated by the West should emulate their inventions and sciences, not their culture," the daily quoted an anti-snowmen blogger as saying. Another social media user argued the snow was there "for fleeting days, maybe even hours," and blamed the scholar for stealing all the joy and fun it brings. The storm swept across the Middle East last week, hitting a number of countries where snow is rarely seen even in winter. While a state of emergency has been declared in some regions, including Gaza and the West Bank, people in parts of Saudi Arabia have been enjoying the rare occurrence in its usually sand-covered desert landscape.
