Some good news. Drink up, all you people!
By Christian Berthelsen and Said Rifai in the Los Angeles Times (thanks to all who sent this in):
...For decades, Iraq had a reputation as a modern, secular society that liked to drink and knew how to party, from wild hotel discotheques to genteel members-only social clubs. But after the fall of Saddam Hussein, extremists unleashed waves of firebombings against liquor stores, even killing owners, because alcohol is forbidden under Islamic law.Just a year ago, Iraqis' taste for alcohol, and the businesses that sated it, were written off as a casualty of the country's new Islam-dominated order.
But violence in Baghdad has dropped in recent months under the U.S. military's security crackdown.
Coming from all over
And although many stores are shuttered, their faded Carlsberg awnings caked with dirt, the booze business has rebounded, as Iraqis negotiating the gulf between their faith and their proclivities strike a delicate balance, discreetly traveling from all over the city, and even other provinces, to the remaining liquor shops.
"People were reluctant to make the trip before the past six months, but now they are encouraged with the somewhat alleviated security," Ameen said. "My wish is that the trend would continue, and we could go back to the prewar levels of distribution — perhaps even more."
With new shops like Ameen's opening in secured areas near fortified Western military outposts, some retailers even say their sales have declined, because they now have so much competition.
Kidnapping is bigger fear
In one dubious measure of the progress, they say their biggest fear is no longer the militias that targeted them for religious reasons, but the criminal gangs that would kidnap them for their revived fortunes.
Ameen, 27, a burly man with a big mustache, recalls arriving at his old liquor store in east Baghdad one morning three years ago, only to discover it was gone. "It was blown to smithereens, just like that," he said.
He had a second shop in the mostly Shiite district of Karada but closed it out of fear it would suffer the same fate. He then moved his businesses to the Assassin's Gate, an ornate sandstone arch just outside the entrance to the heavily fortified Green Zone. Two months ago, he consolidated into a larger space across the street....
So what does this mean?
Excuse me, but having liquor stores open is HARDLY a sign of advancement!
It means people in pain and trouble, and dying will buy with their last sheckel (?) dollar (?) anything to forget this life - even for a little while.
The upsurge of the liquor business shows the evil of the liquor companies - those devils - DEVILS- that don't care about anything - about humanity - JUST to get the coin from the poor. All the liquor companies the executives the Board of Trustees (?) care about is the profits.
When a country is just about finished with a war, the first ones in, are the carpetbaggers and flim-flammeries.
That's what hapened in Russia after communism - one of the first commodities in, were cigarettes.
In my opinion, upsurging of liquor shops doesn't indicate the situation is ameliorated, or that Iraq is getting back on it's feet.
So what does this mean?
Excuse me, but having liquor stores open is HARDLY a sign of advancement!
It means people in pain and trouble, and dying will buy with their last sheckel (?) dollar (?) anything to forget this life - even for a little while.
The upsurge of the liquor business shows the evil of the liquor companies - those devils - DEVILS- that don't care about anything - about humanity - JUST to get the coin from the poor. All the liquor companies the executives the Board of Trustees (?) care about is the profits.
When a country is just about finished with a war, the first ones in, are the carpetbaggers and flim-flammeries.
That's what hapened in Russia after communism - one of the first commodities in, were cigarettes.
In my opinion, upsurging of liquor shops doesn't indicate the situation is ameliorated, or that Iraq is getting back on it's feet.
"Excuse me, but having liquor stores open is HARDLY a sign of advancement!"
I disagree--it means that they are willing to disregard an unambiguous Quranic passage. This in itself makes them a significant step above the Jihadists.
Nonsense! People are people. It means that they will spend their last penny - ans instead of buying food for their belly, or for that of their family, it goes into the till of the liquor corporations. How much I bet you it isn't even good, but rotgut (firewater - "aguardiente")- with an attractive label.
When you talk about islamic countries, it's the male that handles the coins, the addiction of the male will be sated, meanwhile the wife and kiddies - what do they eat?
It means that there will be more wife beatings, due to a woman complaining about this.
allat,
All they need to justify wife beatings is the Qur'an.
Its an advancement because they feel they can practice their business without the threat of death from their Muslim brothers.
"He then moved his businesses to the Assassin's Gate..."
Now where exactly in Baghdad is that again, to celebrate some bloody event or events? Near the Green Zone, yes, but a little more detail please. Could it be on Jihad Boulevard, just after it crosses Haifa Street but before it gets to Al-Andaluz, with Intifada School #43 on the corner? Of course Assassin's Gate need not be in Baghdad. It could be any of several dozen Arab or Muslmi cities, with their constant references to Islamic duties, Islamic warfare against Infidels or internal enemies, Islamic conquests, Islamic "heroes" who so often turn out to be conquerors (with the odd Mutanabbi Street as the exception to prove the rule), or -- and this is something the American diplomats in Saudi Arabia, with that Jiddah consultate perched precisely at the corner of Palestine and Al-Andaluz, surely by now should have figured out -- to once-and-future Islamic lands, such as that "Palestine," such as that "Al-Andaluz."
Islam quondam, Islamque futurus.
Gallows humor, I admit, but you can learn a lot by the toponyms you keep.
Hugh, I believe it's somewhere in the vicinity of Bakadakalaka Street in Durkadurkastan.
"The upsurge of the liquor business shows the evil of the liquor companies"
evil? i'd reserve evil" judgements to beheadings, stonings (no pun intended) and forced marriage rape, not forgetting islamic imperialistic colonialism and terror worldwide.
how is alcohol evil?
Arak - yuk!
Slightly OT, but here's an amusing tale.
When the Suez Canal finally re-opened after the Egypt-Israel war, all ships were required to take on an Egyptian pilot for the transit of the canal. This was purely a source of income for the Egyptian government (in addition to the fees for use of the canal): pilots were hardly necessary, and in general they were politically well-connected types with little knowledge of ship-handling. They had simply managed to get a soft and well-paid "job". But in addition to their exorbitant fee, they expected a "gift" or tip; and the usual one was a few bottles of Scotch. And not just any Scotch, these good Moslems knew their brands, and insisted on top-shelf brands like Chivas Regal. Well, the shipping companies weren't about to pay any more than necessary, so they bought barrels of really cheap stuff, and poured it into empty Chivas bottles, and re-sealed them. I wonder how much of the liquor in the Iraqi stores is the real thing.
"how is alcohol evil? "
Alcohol isn't evil? God knows I like my red wine, beer and Bacardi - it's the liquor corporations that come in to take advantage of the situation - to make a killing. It's the LIQUOR CORPORATIONS.
I say, just because there is a great deal of selling of liquor - doesn't make for advancement.
If I were to hear of fresh produce coming into the cities by the truckload, and bakeries opening in every corner, I would say, Yes, Iraq is coming along..."
Ebonystone's story is amusing--and, I'm sure, quite true. I drank with plenty of Egyptians during my stay there. I met a few who could almost outdrink me. Almost. Not quite, of course, as I'm of Russian origin. I think my DNA is made primarily of triple-distilled vodka. I don't drink much anymore, as I decided to give my brain cells a chance to regenerate. The process is going a tad slow for my liking, however.
By the same singer linked to by Robert Spencer above, another conceivable theme song:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rODeuywknwE
Even if they open a liquor store, as long as they live in an Islamic state, they will always have to be looking over their shoulder.
allat
sorry i disagree, iraq has bakeries etc but i would love to see western style shops open, big retail stores, mass alcohol coporations building breweries over there. it would mean that islam was losing it's grip on the psyche of the iraqi people.
i think that the growth alcohol consumption is a sign of rebellion against the wahabbists.
long live grog!
Plenty of breweries/vineries in Egypt--maybe that's why most of the people there aren't eager to rip foreigners' heads off (well, that and the fact that they make much of their living off fleecing the tourists). Some of the alcohol made there actually ain't half bad. I drank plenty of their vodka and did not lose my eyesight, so I guess that's a sign of progress on their part.
Plenty of drinkers in Iraq (from the Saddam days), so I suspect they'll begin boozing someday--if, that is, the country (of what ends up becoming of it) ever stabilizes.
Well, shucks! I guess I'm looking at it from a general women's viewpoint. I grew up at the edge of poverty, and happen to think, bread in the belly is more important than alcohol.
I grew up with the history of my grandda raising 9 girls and giving all his day's earnings to his wife for rice and beans.
I'm proud of that.
allat,
Im proud of freedom of choice.
"I grew up with the history of my grandda raising 9 girls and giving all his day's earnings to his wife for rice and beans."
crikey!
much respect to him!
what a trooper. we need more like your grandad around today!
I've always considered it a crying shame that despite being the likely birth place of beer, that few nations in the Fertile Crescent acknowledge this history.
Some say that Civilization begat Beer. I think a good case can be made that Beer begat Civilization. The technology that beer brewers had to use to manufacture a drinkable product was not trivial. It demanded many refinements. Those refinements essentially created the need for an agrarian civilization.
Furthermore, beer was thought to be healthier than water. It wasn't until Louis Pasteur discovered exactly what was wrong with the water that people began straying away from beer brewing. In fact, the first building that people constructed in any new village was usually a brewery.
If this bit of history were taught in Iraq, perhaps some of the more parocial and ridiculous stances held by radical islamists would be shown up for the stupidity that they are.
Cheers!
leonthepigfarmer:
I'll Drink to that!
Allat,
I see exactly what you are talking about. I'm thinking, "Angela's Ashes."
"...as Iraqis negotiating the gulf between their faith and their proclivities strike a delicate balance..."
Their faith and their proclivities. And they are going to tell me how to live my life? Think again, boys.
"I don't drink much anymore, as I decided to give my brain cells a chance to regenerate. The process is going a tad slow for my liking, however."
LOL!
Me, too. If I had known I was going to miss them so much I would have thought more before imbibing at the O' Club pilot's bar on Friday nights back in the day. : (
I'm late to all this, but Allat, you're missing the point. It's one thing to advocate not drinking, and another thing to intimidate people who are selling what is a legitimate product.
If the people/government of Iraq decide to enforce a 1920s US style prohibition regime on social, as opposed to Shariah grounds, it's one thing. But in this case, it's one of the many aspects of Shariah rule that are trumping the alleged freedoms that the Iraqi people gained by the ouster of Saddam. The problem in Iraq has been Jihadi forces - Shia and Sunni - intimidating non Muslim liquor owners for not following religious rules that don't apply to them (since Christians and Mandeans don't have the prohibition that Islam does).
Point here is that any Islamic law - even a seemingly good law - shouldn't be forced on Infidels if their respective religion does not cover it. For instance, should a Christian family in Iraq be forcibly prevented from having pork simply because it's verboten in Islam, even though he may be suffering from obesity and would actually do well to avoid pork? How do you suppose Muslims in India might react if they are forcibly prevented from having halal beef - something that is forbidden for Hindus?
What's wrong with the Iraqis having some beer and watching the World Cup Finals. We do it for the Super Bowl or World Series and we go back to work the next day. Lighten up. It doesn't mean the whole country's streets will be full of derelicts.
FREEDOM of Choices ....
This is the message ..... !!!!!!!!!!!!
I am not drinking alcohol, but that's my private choice .... I believe it's the people's choice ...not some Leaders of any Government no matter what Religion to make such choices for anyone.
Governments should be Secular
Religious habits belong into private homes not making rules and laws
"What's wrong with the Iraqis having some beer and watching the World Cup Finals. We do it for the Super Bowl or World Series and we go back to work the next day. Lighten up. It doesn't mean the whole country's streets will be full of derelicts.
Posted by: Infidel One"
....The Islamic Religious Police have been known to raid a house in which soccer games were being watched , where, upon entering the house, proceeded to kill all who were watching......
....at least we do not kill our sports fans....
....heck, The Islamic Religious Police have killed children playing soccer in the streets...
....And Muslims have exectuted the entire soccer team who lost an international match...
....If you dare to watch sports in Muslim Lands, you should post armed guards and trust no one...
Ban Muslim Immigration...
Allat:
"...alcohol is evil"
Worse than pork?
Evil? I'll tell you what's evil: HIPPIES!
...speaking of which, did anyone watch the video of the King of Spain telling that weasel Chavez to shut up? How great was THAT?
"He then moved his businesses to the Assassin's Gate,""
....in front of the Mosque?......