Koran and cigarettes
It is very interesting how two different in concepts things sometimes come into near contact. An example is sale of cigarette by Muslims that respect ideal Koran.
Extraordinary event happened in one of Cambridge store. A 31 year female smoker comes into a usual shop to buy cigarettes, but everything that she gets from saleswoman was a categorical refusal. The reason was that shop assistant was of Muslim origin and, as she sustained, it’s against her religion to sell everything that can harm the human body, besides tobacco products. That wasn’t everything. Additionally, seller gave a teaching lecture to the costumer about how smoking of cigarettes harms the body and everything in this rhyme. Indignant costumer asked for the manager of store. Everything that the manager can do was to require the Muslim shop assistant to ask for somebody else to serve costumers that would like to buy cigarettes. Then the manager was asked why did they employed such “shop assistants”, the answer was clear and simple. It is against law to discriminate people of another religion. Moreover, that lady could understand that seller is of Muslim origin looking on dress that she wore; it’s clear that she wouldn’t sell tobacco products because it’s against her religious conviction.
But, one thing can be firmly stated. There are Muslim people that used to smoke. It is interesting fact. How do they smoke, but don’t sell tobacco products?
The answer for this puzzled smoking situation tried to find reporters of Cambridge Evening News. They ask for explanation the president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim in Cambridge, Asim Mumtaz. According to his interpretation, the selling of smoking tobacco isn’t interdicted. He stated: “Islam, like most religions, is against anything that injures health or the body, but there is no ban on cigarettes or on smoking.”
“The holy Koran is quite specific about intoxicants, alcohol and other drugs which cause a person to lose control are forbidden, but cigarettes are not forbidden so I am surprised by this.”
It is interesting how the adepts of the same religion interpret the Koran in own way.
