Saudi cleric declares war on birthdays

‘A Saudi cleric has issued a fatwa on birthdays, claiming the celebrations are too costly. Advisor to the Royal Court Abdullah al-Mutlaq announced the ban on state television, blowing out the candles on those eager to mark their annual milestone.
“We do not want to open up that door to ourselves because people do not have that kind of money to spend,” he was cited as saying by local media, after a caller asked if it was ok to celebrate the birthdays of children and wives.
“We want to save up for our households and they now want to destroy themselves with these parties… which are unbeneficial things that Islam does not promote,” the religious leader explained.
The war on birthdays has produced plenty of discussion online, with the original tweet on the story prompting hundreds of reactions and thousands of retweets.’
Read more: Saudi cleric declares war on birthdays