BAREILLY: Global phenomenon Pokemon Go has the world on its feet and out the door but the influential Dargah Aala Hazrat here has issued a fatwa against it, saying the trend spells danger for its players. This augmented reality game, based on Nintendo characters such as Squirtle and Pikachu, is not only the most downloaded software from iOS and Google Play Stores but has trumped Facebook as the most used app in the world.While players wander with eyes glued to their smartphones in search of digital characters, clerics here are worried that the game is un-Islamic since it might provoke many to enter places of worship, creating law and order problems, and also leave many severely addicted to it.“There is a possibility that players might enter religious shrines while prayers are going on. It might create law and order problems,” said Mufti Mohammed Saleem Noori, spokesperson of the influential Barelvi seminary Dargah Aala Hazrat and the cleric who issued the fatwa.News reports about people posting pictures of themselves in dangerous locations on social media have catalysed fears among these clerics. The game has already been blamed for a wave of crimes, traffic violations and injuries with hordes of safety advisories following users as they go out to catch them all.“Two residents of Mauritius contacted Maulana Qamar Raza, a Port Louis-based cleric, to know whether playing Pokemon Go is un-Islamic. A few countries have already imposed a ban on the game. Scholars in Saudi Arabia have also passed a fatwa against it,” added Noori.He also said that the decision was taken after Raza contacted Dargah Aala Hazrat clerics to know if the game can be deemed un-Islamic. A research was then conducted by the clerics here before passing the fatwa.“As gamers stare at their mobile screens, they live in a virtual world and forget about their real surroundings. This is extremely dangerous and has caused several accidents in many places across the world. There are chances of a distracted player being hit by a speeding vehicle. It is unsafe and playing it is forbidden in Islam. Moreover, an addicted player’s family members might also suffer,” added Noori