Is it true that you issued a ruling permitting photography with a mobile phone camera?

Question:
Peace be upon you, Your Eminence, father. The questioner says: One of the preachers spread the claim that you consider photography with a mobile phone camera permissible, and that he took a picture of you based on your permission for him to do so. This has caused confusion among some of the youth. Is what he claimed true or not?

Answer:
This statement is a lie about me, and how many lies they have told about others! This is a lie. I did not issue a ruling permitting photography from a mobile phone camera. I say that the camera is forbidden; transferring it, selling it, and buying it are forbidden, whether it is in a mobile phone, separate, or any type of camera used for photography. It is not permissible. This is because it is a tool for photography, a tool for photography like a tool for amusement. It is not permissible to sell it or buy it.