violetbutterfly Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Heard at the grocery store today. Literally cannot touch a bottle of wine. I was at the store today picking up some things for Thanksgiving. I'm working the evening shift so my co-workers and I are doing dinner at work. I decided to grab a sparkling grape juice for us so we can pretend to be drinking wine. Ha. Anyway, I'm short. I went over to the juice aisle and the item I wanted was almost sold out but there were a few left on the very back of the top shelf and of course they were out of my reach. Being a short person, I am used to asking taller strangers if they wouldn't mind grabbing something off the top shelf for me and people are usually happy to help. There was one man in the aisle walking toward me who was significantly taller. I politely asked if he'd mind grabbing the bottle for me. He looked at it, looked at me and hesitated. "Is that wine?" "No, it's sparkling grape juice." "Oh. Okay. I can't touch wine." I hadn't been paying much attention to his heritage up until that point but if I had to guess I'd say he was possibly Middle Eastern. So is this a Muslim thing? Are they literally not allowed to TOUCH a bottle of wine? Is that aiding and abetting me in sin? Are they really that fearful of the wrath of a diety? It was momentarily mind boggling. For a moment I also wondered if he was possibly a recovering alcoholic. But I was obviously in the juice aisle not the liquor section and it wasn't really the vibe I got. More like it was forbidden for other reasons. Sometimes it still amazes me how much power dogma has over people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
directionless Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 I googled for you, and here is a quote: Q: What is the Islamic ruling on touching empty liquor bottles; for I work as a maid for foreign women who do not fast Ramadhaan? A: If the liquor bottle is empty and there is no fluid alcohol in it, then it is permissible to touch such bottles. Muslim scholars hold different opinions on touching liquor bottles if they have traces of alcohol that might cling to the hand, the place, or the clothes, and whether they are considered impure or not. However, the majority of Muslim jurists have decreed that alcohol is inherently impure, and this is the preponderant opinion. http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=28176 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wittyusername Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Well in England and particularly where I live there are a lot of Muslims and Muslim cashiers will happily scan my bacon, sausages wine etc. Practicing Muslims in the veil, or the little hats for men. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wittyusername Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 The Muslim corner shops are also happy to sell wine and pork.i wonder what mental gymnastics they have to do in order to be ok with that. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violetbutterfly Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 Thanks directionless. That kind of thing never crossed my mind. Wouldn't it be so nice if we could all discover freedom? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Maybe it was M.C. Hammer in the grocery store? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Furball Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Religion knows no bounds doesn't it? Now people cannot touch a bottle for fear of it contaminating someone's standing with an imaginary god? Stupid, just stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentLoner Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Plenty of muslims are happy to ignore that edict, I tell ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francesco Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 The Muslim corner shops are also happy to sell wine and pork.i wonder what mental gymnastics they have to do in order to be ok with that. money 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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