Religious committee members in the United Arab Emirates have issued a fatwa against popular children's game Pokemon because of fears that it promotes gambling.

The edict warned parents the Pokemon video game and cards were based on the betting principles of one side winning and the other losing.

It added the game was also based on the theory of evolution, "a Jewish-Darwinist theory, that conflicts with the truth about humans and with Islamic principles".

The fatwa does not mean the game has been banned, as it has in other Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia.

However, it adds to the growing religious resistance in the Middle East to the game because of its perceived bad influence.

'Advice'

"The ruling carries no legal force in the Emirates, and was issued as advice for concerned Muslims," said Sheik Ahmed al-Haddad, assistant director of Dubai's Research and Fatwa Administration.