Ribery says the alcohol-free bar aims to encourage the French to abandon alcohol drinking by offering alternative alcohol-free atmosphere
PARIS – In an effort to fight alcohol addiction, French Muslim football player Franck Ribery has opened an alcohol-free bar that would serve fruit juices.“I wanted a concept that’s a little different from the ordinary,” the 28-year old told French newspaper La Voix du Nord.
Called “O’Shahiz”, the bar takes its name from Ribery’s two daughters Shahinez and Hizya.
The Bayern Munich midfielder is believed to have reverted to Islam in 2006 after marrying a Muslim woman of Moroccan origin.
Though he rarely speaks about his faith, Ribery recently told Le Paris Match magazine that he felt “safe” with Islam.
Ribery says the free-alcohol bar in his home town of Boulogne-sur-Mer aims to encourage the French to abandon alcohol drinking by offering alternative alcohol-free atmosphere.
The new bar would also allocate an area for French Muslims who feel uncomfortable in bars that offer alcohol drinks.
Islam takes an uncompromising stand in prohibiting intoxicants. It forbids Muslims from drinking or even selling alcohol.
The general rule in Islam is that any beverage that get people intoxicated when taken is unlawful, both in small and large quantities, whether it is alcohol, drugs, fermented raisin drink or something else.
A British study released in November 2010 found that alcohol is a more dangerous and lethal drug than heroin or crack cocaine.
Alcohol is blamed for the death of 195,000 people in the 27-nation European Union every year and more than 10,000 deaths were due to alcohol-related road accidents, with young people especially at risk.
It is also blamed for 7.4 percent of all ill-health and premature death in the EU, a 2006 EU-commissioned report said.
Alcohol: moderate use a gateway to alcoholism
Muslims realize that all the detrimental consequences related to alcoholism are a proof that alcohol is the reason for numerous problems. The non-Muslims especially the Westerners have a convenient rationalization. They fracture the reality into two parts, moderate use and excessive use and keep trying to blame all problems on excessive use, while applauding the recreational value of moderate use and its other benefits. This also requires denying any possible relationship between moderate and excessive use. “Thus unto every people have We (Allah) caused their doing to seem fair.” (Al Quran 6:109)
The simple fact is that every alcoholic starts as a moderate consumer of alcohol. He or she may or may not have a genetic predisposition, but, the reality is that if he or she had never tasted alcohol his or her vulnerability would not have been exposed.
There are at least 75 verses in the Bible against wine or drunkenness. However, unfortunately, Christianity’s message on the issue becomes ambiguous as wine is a part of its sacraments also. In the majority of Western Christianity, the generally accepted definition of a sacrament is that it is an outward sign that conveys spiritual grace through Christ. Christian churches, denominations, and sects are divided regarding the number and operation of the sacraments. The outward component of sacraments entails the use of such things as water, oil, bread and wine.
Unlike the Bible, the Holy Quran has a very precise and unambiguous message about alcohol:
“They ask thee (Muhammad) concerning wine and the game of hazard. Say: ‘In both there is great sin and also some advantages for men; but their sin is greater than their advantage.’ And they ask thee what they should spend. Say: ‘What you can spare.’ Thus does Allah make His commandments clear to you that you may reflect.” (Al Quran 2:220)
And:
“O ye who believe! wine and the game of hazard and idols and divining arrows are only an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. So shun each one of them that you may prosper. Satan desires only to create enmity and hatred among you by means of wine and the game of hazard, and to keep you back from the remembrance of Allah and from Prayer. But will you keep back?”
(Al Quran 5:91-92)
In these verses the Quran not only prohibits alcohol but also gives reasons behind the prohibition and enlightens us with criteria to judge useful from harmful!
Read further:
http://www.themuslimtimes.org/2011/11/religion/alcohol-moderate-use-a-gateway-to-alcoholism
Binge Drinking: moderation is a myth hard to sustain
Binge drinking is the modern definition of drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. Or alternatively, a consistent amount of alcohol over a long period of time. It is a kind of purposeful drinking style that is popular in several countries worldwide, and overlaps somewhat with social drinking since it is often done in groups. However, it is also done alone as a method of self medication. The exact degree of intoxication, however, varies between and within various cultures that engage in this practice. Formerly, most countries defined the term as a multi-day heavy drinking session during which the drinker neglects usual responsibilities and otherwise behaves recklessly. In Russia, many people often still define it this way.
There is currently no world wide consensus on how many drinks constitute a “binge.”
http://www.themuslimtimes.org/2012/01/religion/binge-drinking-moderation-is-a-myth-hard-to-sustain#comment-60008
Once I asked my Russian students,”by the way, why do you drink?” Their answer was,”we love to loose control over our intentions”.