Masthead
One of my photos

Islam, race and British identity

November 22nd, 2005 · Posted by Skuds in Life · No Comments · Life

The current series of stories in The Guardian is interesting reading. One thing which is mentioned in passing in this story is the matter of Islam and alcohol:

…non-Muslim Britain hasn’t begun to grasp how big an obstacle alcohol is to Muslims’ participation. As alcohol consumption has soared in the past two decades, Muslims have been left to negotiate its centrality in British social life – at work, school or university, or as neighbours – with great difficulty. Alcohol is probably now one of the most effective and unquestioned forms of exclusion practised in the UK, affecting every kind of social network.

It is something I have found, and which has also affected other religions.

I can remember a planning application for a Hindu temple. It was to be a temple with attached community centre. The facilty would be used extensively by the Gurjar Hindu Union, but also available for anyone else to hire. Many objections were based on the fact that they would not allow alcohol to be on the premises and objectors were more or less saying they could see no point in hiring a place they could not drink in.

Perhaps it is true that we do not realise how effectively we exlude muslims, and others, from all sorts of things because of alcohol. Drinking is such an integral part of our culture that we find it hard to imagine any social event can be held without it. I can’t even think of anything which other cultures do, or might do, which are perfectly legal, but would act the same way on us to make us refuse to attend events, or be extremely reluctant, or even disgusted.

Maybe if a culture considered it essential to eat cats?

The way it is I cannot see either side willing to compromise on a large enough scale to make a difference. When we had a muslim mayor, he was happy to serve alcohol in his parlour, and some of us drink so rarely that we hardly notice if an event is ‘dry’, but both behaviours are far from typical.

Tags:

No Comments so far ↓

Like the collective mind of the Daily Mail, comments are closed.