An Iranian ayatollah has said that the social networking service Facebook was un-Islamic and being a member of it a sin, the ISNA news agency reported Saturday.

In Iran, it is common for senior clerics to be asked about their stance on certain social issues and whether these issues are compatible with Islamic norms.

17 million Iranians have a Facebook account, despite heavy restrictions and filtering imposed by the government.

Read more: Haaretz.com

Haaretz