News & Views
‘New wine shops, conspiracy to destroy youth’

Giving permission to open more than 50 new wine shops in Karachi is a deep conspiracy to ruin the future of youth of this financial, trade and industrial lifeline of Pakistan, and if the government failed to withdraw the licenses of these new wine shops, the enraged people of Karachi would be compelled to raze these wine shops, warned Jamaat e Islami (JI) Karachi.

Insanity
Well, I totally agree to the fact that opening 50 new wine shops in Karachi is unjustified, but the repeatedly highlighted part about the MINORITIES in Karachi is also unjust. We are living in a Muslim dominated state and alcoholism to such an extent is simply not something that would portrait us as a Proper Muslim State. Also, mentioning that the wine shops opened in Karachi and the owners who have been issued these licenses are mainly all MUSLIMS. You’d not find a Minority dealing in this business as frequent as the MAJORITY.

Sleepless in Karachi
The wine shops are for non-muslims. So why is the JI worried? Or do they fear that a bottle of wine will create more damage than Zardari and other fundamentalist organizations?

Faizan Basit
I think a good Muslim would never opt for wine even if there are thousands of wine shops in Karachi and the one who wants it can even get it if there is only one secret shop in the whole Karachi. So, i think that this basically depends on the person and his perception.

faraz
What about heroine, a product of Afghan Jihad

Zarghun Khan
“There is no compulsion in Islam”. The ban on alcohol and imposing moral principles on people is an utter non-sense and violation of human rights. JI has no business to tell people what to do and what not to do. Mullahs have brought the country to the brink of collapse. We must say NOOOOOOOOOO to them, or else we should be ready for a complete destruction. It is “NOW OR NEVER”.

Zahid
Gutka and other betel nuts products causing cancer. Jamaat is silent…
Pollution from Rickshaw sound and environment they are not worried. They are double faced people.

cmsarwar
In stead of getting tense about 50 wine shops the great Jamaat-e Islami should agitate about millions of hungry people who go without food day and night.What about health care,education,clothing,housing and the misery of very existence for majority of our people? When will JI get out of bottle of wine and attend to the real issues.

Robert Arizona
I think if people are responsible, the lack of demand for these shops will decrease there numbers in the coming year. (Full disclosure I am an American wine maker).

ali
I live in the USA but i donot drink. and i fully support the opening of shops. people should have choice to drink or not drink. we should not force our beliefs on others.

Dajjal
Its not surprising that the religious are up in arms about wine shops destroying the youth… after all, destroying the Youth is the religious organizations job… so its not the wine shops they cant stand, its the competition…

Chris Cork
Would just like to point out that these shops although called ‘wine’ shops’ do not in fact sell wine – or at least very rarely. Wine is made from grapes which are fermented, and it has a relatively low alcohol content. It comes in three colours – red, white and pink – and is a pleasant social drink. What the ‘wine’ shops sell is ’spirits’ – whisky, gin, vodka or variations thereof that are made from distilled liquids which concentrate the alcohol and raise the alcohol levels far above that of wine. Over my many years here I have noticed, when drinking particularly with Muslims, that they drink to get drunk, rather than drink as an adjunct to a social activity. The majority have not learned how to drink in a socially acceptable manner and quickly get beyond themselves. Not a pretty sight.

SharifL
Here in the west, there are so many outlets for wine and other stuff. Such stuff is even sold in food stores. And yet, very few Muslims drink alcohol.
Freedom means the freedom of choice. If you take that away, you force people to a certain life style. that is suppression. Many Pakistanis are hooked to opium and other more damaging drugs. A normal consumption of wine is far less dangerous. In fact scientists claim that those who drink a glass of wine a day, have less chance of a heart attack. Studies have shown that in countries such as France and Italy, which are wind drinkers, the number of heart patients is minimal. I say, do not listen to conservatives, give people the choice. Alternatively ask those trying to flock to west for immigration, stay where you are. Here wine is part of life.

ahmed
I suspect that the the arabic words “sukura” and “khamr” have slightly different connotations and labeling the entire alcohol family as haram is irrelevant. Alcohol is present in almost every food item, and what matters is that it has to be above a certain percentage to cause any effect. For e.g. Beer is considered halal in some muslim countries if drunk in small quantities as they cause no intoxication. The stress needs to be on intoxicants rather than blaming a particular intoxicant.

Charas and Bhang instantly knock you out, but no one talks about them in terms of halal or haram. Many JI students probably would be fond of such halal intoxicants. Mind you that it is next to impossible to get intoxicated while drinking less alcoholic beverages.

I live in the west and i rarely see crime or any other vice which is blamed on alcohol. Meanwhile in Pakistan, heroin and charas addicts openly commit crime by stealing mobile phones. Lets face it, being civilized has nothing .