SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #1863

[Grimmund]

Well met!

First:
> There are also Islamic sectarian differences about the consumption of
> alcohol.  The specific prohibition is against the fruit of the grape.
Most
> sects apply a general prohibition against all alcoholic beverages, but
there
> are some which follow the prohibition precisely and only deny
beverages made
> from grapes.

Second:

> I vaguely recall a cute bit in "The Thirteenth Warrior" illustrating
> this, although how accurate it is I couldn't say. For the umpteenth
> time the main character is offered some mead, and for the umpteenth
> time he refuses, saying the Law of the Prophet forbids him to drink
> of the fermented fruit of the grape. Finally somebody lets on that
> mead is made from fermented _honey_: the reaction is more or less
> "Woo-hoo!!!"

Well, sort of glug, glug, "Woo-hoo."  I caught this bit, understood it,
and laughed pretty hard.

If I remember correctly,  as explained to me by a Saudi national in
1991, the relevent bit of the Koran says, almost literally,
"Let not one drop of wine pass your lips."

Modern interpretations by Muslims:
1. No alcohol or mind-altering drugs.
2.  No alcohol.
3.  No wine, but beer and non-grape liquors, such as vodka, whiskey,
etc.  are OK because they don't involve wine.
4.  Pour out the first mouthful from each bottle of wine you open onto
the ground; THOSE drops will not pass your lips.  Drink the rest of the
bottle.

Arabic is a beutiful langauge; lawyers would love the built-in
ambiguity.

Grimmund

- --
Grimmund Blackwing, Castellan  Windhaven, Northshield, Midrealm
Dan Long- Clintonville/Appleton/Green Bay, WI     (715) 823-2370
Windhaven on the Web:  http://www.execpc.com/~lilith/

You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a
reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating
the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for
independence.    -- Charles A. Beard