Saturday, July 25, 2009

Islam, alcohol and justice

I remember sitting in a Moroccan restaurant in Paris a few years back enjoying dolomints while discussing politics with a few friends. Our waiter, a good guy who I eventually befriended, told me he had been caned for drinking a dolomint at a party. He received 10 lashes from a religious court.  He showed me his scars. When I asked what he did about it, because in those days I had no idea that Islam was just nuts, he said, “I came to France.”

Dolomint: Gin, Galliano, Lime Juice, Soda Water, Mint Leaves.

Kartika_Sari_Dewi_ShukarnoI  remember thinking his experience was pathetic because there was no way I was going to take a caning for drinking something as unremarkable as a dolomint. A good beer maybe…

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a 32-year-old model, was arrested on charges of drinking beer after Islamic authorities raided a hotel nightclub last year. She was sentenced Monday to six lashes with a rattan cane after pleading guilty in the Shariah High Court.

Shariah courts are BS. Islam is way to concerned about the behavior of others, which is my rub with religions in general. When you take away a persons right to do as they choose and replace those rights with arbitrary rules interpreted by religious zealots, you end up with 10 lashes for drinking beer. It better have been a good beer. Can you imagine getting canned for a Coors?

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Jack's avatar - Go to profile

Jack 119p · 824 weeks ago

Contemporary Islam as it is practiced in the nations which have also adopted Islamic law is an excellent reminder of why separation of church and state is such a vital strength in the U.S. which must be preserved (perhaps even expanded). The idea of a religious group with an army behind it should terrify everyone.
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Manal · 816 weeks ago

My friend, in islam, the harsh punishment of drinking alcohol doesn't come from arbitrary thinking or a bucnch of people thinking nonsense. Think more about this: Human beings are not strong enough to resist addiction, whether it is to alcohol or drugs, they are easily drawn to fall into that trap especially when they are surrounded wih problems in life. Drinking alcohol/taking drugs may lead to serious consequences ranging from abusive talk to death (that's why you see so many campaigns against drinking and driving for example), thus, because we are NOT perfect, we are better off staying away from alcohol/drugs...if Islam was very mellow about this point...I can guarantee you not a single person would stay away from, and consequently, so many people would have been hurt/dead because of the human nature leaning towards abuse...that's why God HAD made it completely forbidden, and this is for our own sake...
2 replies · active 793 weeks ago
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Mojoey 107p · 816 weeks ago

I am an atheist. I do believe that an humans have a prediposition for abuse. Nor do I believe that your religion has the right to impose its believes on others. If like to drink (and I do), you should not be able to kill me for it, or even slap me on the wrist. I do not think you are right to use your interpretation of God's word to inforce the behavior of others. It is barbaric as is your religion.
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Owns's avatar

Owns · 793 weeks ago

Lolk.

Telling people not to drug themselves for the safety of others and giving punishment is "barbaric".

Guess punishment in general is "barbaric".

Freakin liberal atheists.
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lightFinding's avatar

lightFinding · 793 weeks ago

prevention is better than cure.... i think this is the best way to solve the problem from the root....think about it? it's not only to punish, but as a lesson to others.

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