Ethiopian Beer !

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28054464

Fascinating report from one of Islam's most holy cities, which brews beer.
I don't know much about Islam but isn't drinking any kind of alcohol forbidden ?

Place looks lovely though...very colourful !

[koster]

Ethiopia is 63% Christian and 34% Islam, according to Wikipedia.

[Sqad]

No, Islam has nothing to do with alcohol being forbidden.

[mikey4444]

But I bet Harar is more Islamic than anything else ! This is a nice story...its just that it seems to be counterintuitive, given what we are led to believe about Islamic practises. Also the article goes on to say that instead of those awful dowdy beige, or black or brown veils, the womenfolk wear nice bright colours !

[mikey4444]

Really Swad ? ...must have got that wrong then, coz all the Muslims that I have come into contact with say that alcohol is forbidden...life is looking up
apparently !

[mikey4444]

Just found a few conflicting links on the 'net :::

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_dietary_laws#Intoxicants
http://islam.about.com/od/health/f/alcohol.htm

and

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2011/oct/08/drinkers-islam-palestinian-beerfest-alcohol

As at 18:45, the nays have it.

[tonyav]

They seem to also like the narcotic khat.

[mikey4444]

I'm getting to like Islam !

According to the following source, "Alcohol is an abomination from Satan"
apparently. ( I think that might mean Fosters, Harp, or Carling Black Label, both forbidden to a good CAMRA member like myself )

http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/2229/

[Sqad]

Saudi Arabia is the only Muslim country where alcohol is forbidden and that is costume not law or religion.

BUT

Who am i to ague with "LINKS?"

[mikey4444]

I know B*gger all about Islam as well Sqad ! But the 'net does seem to rather firm on the subject. I wonder where I can purchase some of the Harar beer.... sounds a lot more fun then those *** leaves !

[tonyav]

Things are on the up for them, mikey. There owners Heineken are planing to invest in the plant.

This brewery was sold off to the Heineken group by the government three years ago. The company says it plans to invest in the plant.

[boxtops]

Muslims I know don't drink anyway, because it's forbidden to them. It dates from the days (according to Hadith) where Mohammed found that people were turning up drunk for prayers, so he asked them not to drink so much - and eventually it was decided that not drinking at all was the most preferable recommendation. Saudi might be the only country which actually bans it, but it certainly applies to plenty of other Muslim people.

[Sqad]

boxy....Catholicism bans contraception, but Catholics are not breaking the law for using it.

Islam bans alcohol but Muslims are not breaking the law for drinking it..........except in Saudi Arabia.

[boxtops]

Maybe not breaking the law of the land, but breaking their religious laws, sqad. And many Catholics won't use contraception because their Church forbids it. Law of the land, or law of their religion?

[Canary42]

So, religion is hypocritical .....

.... and bears sh!t in the forest.

[Gromit]

Many muslim countries brew and drink alcohol.

Turkey Brews Efes and Tuborg under licence, as well as its famous Raki.

Egypt brews some fine beers.

[Gromit]

The Shiraz grape from which the Red Wine is made come originates from Shiraz in Iran.

[mikey4444]

Turkey is a secular State as I understand it Gromit.

[naomi24]

Islam forbids Muslims to drink alcohol, but in most Muslim countries it’s available to non-Muslims - and very often sold only in hotels.

[sandyRoe]

Don't they produce wine in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon? Though it might be Christian Lebanese who make it.