SC - feasting and religion (longish)

[Siegfried Heydrich]

    I'm given to understand that this has roots in the hygienic practices
found in arid lands, and is one of those things which became codified as a
cultural imperative. And I've certainly seen far more inexplicable practices
. . .

    Sieggy

- ----- Original Message -----
>
> There is also another side to religion and feasting, which I hadn't
> anticipated:  a friend of ours from Gaza (the one we visited the weekend
> before the Intifada struck) came to dinner and was uncomfortable with
> looking at our hands.  The reason?  Apparently Muslims don't eat with
their
> left hand, because in the Koran it says this is the way you can tell
demons
> - they do use their left hand for food.
>
> Cairistiona