Clerics warn media against horoscopes

Riyadh: Leading clerics in Saudi Arabia have warned Arab media against publishing horoscopes, saying they are a form of magic and should be banned.

A statement released by a committee of senior Saudi clerics said of horoscopes, "This is astrology, which is forbidden and is considered as a form of magic."

It added, "The committee reminds Muslims and journalists in particular that it is their obligation to take advice from God, His Prophet and the clergy," adding that all schools of Islamic law forbid such practices.

Horoscopes are immensely popular despite the ban, with some Saudi-owned newspapers based in London publishing them in recent years and fortune tellers appearing on Saudi-owned television stations based outside the kingdom.

"Believing that a certain star can be the cause of happiness or misfortune is a superstition from the pre-Islamic age," the clerics said.