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Pokémon in the Arab world: Difference between revisions
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Similar to the [[History of Pokémon|Pokémania]] phenomenon experienced in America, the introduction of the Pokémon franchise to the {{wp|Arab world}} in 2000 resulted in an unprecedented surge in popularity, almost reaching the status of a cultural phenomenon. Swiftly, stores were inundated with an abundance of [[Pokémon merchandise|Pokémon products]], and the [[anime]] series rapidly found its way onto television stations in every country across the region. | Similar to the [[History of Pokémon|Pokémania]] phenomenon experienced in America, the introduction of the Pokémon franchise to the {{wp|Arab world}} in 2000 resulted in an unprecedented surge in popularity, almost reaching the status of a cultural phenomenon. Swiftly, stores were inundated with an abundance of [[Pokémon merchandise|Pokémon products]], and the [[anime]] series rapidly found its way onto television stations in every country across the region. | ||
Amidst the heightened interest in the Pokémon series, certain parents and schoolteachers have raised concerns regarding children’s | Amidst the heightened interest in the Pokémon series, certain parents and schoolteachers have raised concerns regarding children’s overattachment to the series while others started to criticize the franchise asserting that it primarily functions as a commercial ploy, strategically designed to entice children into frivolously spending their money on toys, trading cards, and various other related products. The franchise was then accused of promoting "unislamic values" such as {{wp|violence}}, but most importantly {{wp|gambling}}, as well as anti-creationism ideology: ''{{wp|the theory of evolution}}'' and ''{{wp|survival of the fittest}}'' with some accusing the series of trying to promote {{wp|Atheism}} among Muslim youth, meanwhile rumors started spreading that the Pokémon names in the series were in fact {{wp|Hebrew}} words meant to insult {{wp|Islam}} and that the franchise is a part of a {{wp|Zionism|Zionist}} conspiracy. Several media outlets started reporting these stories and from there the controversy escalated, soon after Pokémon products especially the TCG started to get banned in schools while several TV stations took the anime off air as the franchise was {{wp|blacklisting|blacklisted}}. | ||
The whole controversy gained major public attention to the point that the {{wp|Japan|Japanese}} embassy in {{wp|Saudi Arabia}} had to issue a statement explaining the Japanese origins of the franchise and denying any relation to any political or religious ideology.<ref>https://archive.aawsat.com/details.asp?issueno=8070&article=33242#.ZCFtNHbMKvE</ref> | The whole controversy gained major public attention to the point that the {{wp|Japan|Japanese}} embassy in {{wp|Saudi Arabia}} had to issue a statement explaining the Japanese origins of the franchise and denying any relation to any political or religious ideology.<ref>https://archive.aawsat.com/details.asp?issueno=8070&article=33242#.ZCFtNHbMKvE</ref> | ||