croissants
croissantscreativecommons/Sundar1

A Sharia law committee in the rebellious region of the Syrian city of Aleppo has issued a fatwa banning croissants, saying they symbolise colonial oppression.

The religious ruling or fatwa has declared croissants as 'haram' meaning forbidden by Islamic law. The religious group in the ruling, a copy of which has been uploaded online, said they banned croissants because of its crescent shape 'which celebrates European victory over Muslims', al-Arabiya site reported.

The fatwa has been issued at a time when there is severe shortage of food, especially breads in Syria's northern city, according to Washington Post.

Sharia committees have previously issued several strict fatwas in rebel-held areas of Syria. Earlier, the committee issued fatwa on Facebook banning make-up and tight clothes which disclose physical features of women.

Another fatwa issued by the Council of the United Judiciary stated that anyone who fails to fast during the holy month of Ramadan would be sent to prison for a year.

Earlier in May, a man in Saudi Arabia, who claimed to be a Salafist-Wahhabist cleric, said that women should not switch on air-conditioners or coolers when their husbands are not at home.

"Turning on the cooler ventilator is prohibited for women in the absence of their husbands because the woman's act is very dangerous, and may bring about immorality in the society. When she turns the cooler on, someone may notice her presence home, and this might bring about immorality," the cleric allegedly said, according to the Iran-based Al-Alam news network.