Islam, The taxi driver and my six-pack

Submitted by E.J. Shafer (United States), Oct 25, 2006 at 15:56

In my reading of the life story of Muhammed I recall seeing frequent references to the consumption of wine, neither beer, mead or tequila having been invented at that time. In addition, as I recall from the famous poem "the Rhubiyat of Omar Khyam" there is a passage that goes "A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou, singing besides me in the wilderness"

From this and the foregoing, it would seem that "spiritus fermenti" was not unknown and was there at "party time". So-o what goes on there in Minnesota with those guys who fled the tyranny of their native country but want to impose the rules of their abandoned culture regarding that which is legal in our culture ever since the restrictions of The Rumstead act was overturned in the early years of Franklin Rossevelts first term as our president. I say "salut", prosit" and "here's to youjr good health" as well as "here's mud in your eye". Not forgetting the "opened container law" of many states.

My suggestion when encountering a "blue nosed" taxi driver who voices an objection to what I have in my possession that offends his sensitivities, would be simply to tell him to shove off and "get lost". EJS

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