Thursday March 28th, 2024
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Egypt's Dar al-Ifta Calls for the Ban of the 'Momo Challenge'

The "Momo Challenge" has been compared to the "Blue Whale" challenge which has been circulating earlier in 2018.

Staff Writer

Egypt’s Dar Al-Ifta has called on authorities to ban a social media game, the 'Momo Challenge', which has been circulating online and via WhatsApp, allegedly encouraging kids to commit suicide as part of a  game that asks partakers to complete certain challenges.  The 'Momo Challenge', which is similar to the 'Blue Whale' game that had been circulating in 2018, has been reported to also encourage children to harm loved ones. 

Dar Al-Ifta also released a statement urging parents to keep an eye on their kids and monitor their internet activities to ensure that they are not taking part in the aforementioned online game. 

However, according to news outlets such as the CNN, there is no actual evidence that the game exists. Other news publications have also dubbed the game a viral hoax.  The picture used for the 'Momo Challenge' is actually that of sculpture that was designed by Japanese artist Keisuke Aisawa and put on display at the Tokyo’s horror-art-focused Vanilla Gallery in 2016.

Image: Keisuke Aisawa