Did you know that there are places on Earth where drinking is prohibited? Moreover, this prohibition is regulated by laws, and in case of its violation, rather severe punishments are provided in the form of fines or imprisonment.
Similar restrictions are to be expected in Muslim countries where alcohol is prohibited by religion. The rules apply not only to local residents, but also to all those who come to the country for business or tourism purposes. Any alcohol is confiscated at the border.
However, there are exceptions to any rule. In some countries, foreigners are sold booze in luxury hotel bars, while in others there are illegal outlets selling alcohol. Let's figure out how things are with alcohol in those states where it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol.
Why alcohol is prohibited
To understand the ban on alcohol in Muslim countries, you need to know a few facts:
- those who introduce restrictive rules on the sale and consumption of alcohol in their countries rely on the recommendations of the Prophet Muhammad, which he received from Allah himself;
- the use of wine is not condemned in the Quran unequivocally - it says that alcohol can bring both harm and benefit;
- rivers of alcohol await all the righteous in the afterlife;
- in the stories about the life of Muhammad, which are called hadith, alcohol is equated with drugs;
- in those countries where wine has been produced from time immemorial, local residents, having converted to Islam, were not ready to give up the bad habit of missing a glass of a drunken drink during a meal, therefore they still drink secretly there, and sometimes they do not even hide it;
- the situation with alcohol is not so critical in countries where secular rulers are in power.
Some states in India
Hot Indian men, warming up their blood with alcohol, behave ugly: they rape girls, rob passers-by, get into car accidents. And all this happens in a country where yoga is actively practiced, for which it is recommended to refrain from drinking alcohol.
Before the colonization of India by the British, the locals drank mainly palm or rice wine. Strong alcohol was not so popular, it was usually consumed only by representatives of the lower castes.
British immigrants who settled in India managed to change the attitude of Indians towards alcohol. All over the country, breweries, distilleries and similar enterprises were built that produced cheap alcoholic beverages. Residents of India tried new products with interest, willingly spent all their money on them, gradually turning into alcoholics.
The British tried to prevent the decline in morality by simply forbidding the sale of liquor to the Indians. However, after the British left the country, alcohol began to be sold everywhere. Only the authorities of some Indian states rebelled, banning the sale of alcohol on their territory. This was done, for example, in the state of Gujarat. But this only led to the emergence of clandestine factories for the production of alcohol. Any alcoholic drink there is simply brought to the customer's home.
The state of Nagaland has established severe penalties for the sale and consumption of alcohol. However, there are still clandestine shops where they sell completely legal products delivered from the neighboring region.
In Kerala, after the ban on alcohol, tourist companies rebelled, quite rightly considering that the flow of visitors would soon greatly decrease because of this, which means that the profit would not be so great. They were able to get the sale of alcohol, but only in expensive hotels.
Yemen
In Muslim Yemen, they are very strict about the production and sale of alcohol. You can buy alcohol only in two cities of the country - Aden and Sana'a.
However, this was not always the case. Until 1994, a large brewery operated in Yemen, where the legendary Seera beer was produced. There was no such enterprise in the entire Arabian Peninsula. Unfortunately, the troops of North Yemen razed the factory to the ground, and the government forbade it to be rebuilt.
Nowadays, alcohol is sold in five-star hotels and some reputable restaurants. Its cost is off scale.
Tourists are allowed to bring in a limited amount of alcohol. It is better to drink it in the room, away from strict Muslims.
Libya
Libyans are used to living without alcohol. Strong alcoholic drinks were banned here during the time of Muammar Gaddafi, and now their use is punishable by deprivation of will for several years.
Nevertheless, Libyans living on the border with Egypt and Tunisia do not deny themselves the pleasure of drinking alcohol illegally delivered from neighboring countries. It is sold here from under the floor to everyone.
Any alcohol that travelers try to bring to Libya is confiscated at the border. And you can be sure that the alcohol will go to the personal collection of border guards. There is no need to protest if you do not want to be in custody.
Tourists have long found a way to get around the harsh Islamic bans. In Libya, alcohol is sold in any pharmacy. Our craftsmen fill them with cones from local conifers and make a gorgeous tincture.
Sharjah in the UAE
The United Arab Emirates does not have its own factories for the production of alcohol, but there is a clear understanding of what tourists like. Despite the fact that the UAE is a Muslim state, alcohol is sold here quite legally, but only in special places - bars, hotels, alcohol stores. It is intended for tourists and for those foreigners who came to the UAE to work. All alcohol is produced abroad, so it is incredibly expensive.
Only Sharjah resists the sale of alcohol. Alcohol is not sold here even in restaurants; you cannot drink it in public places. For breaking the rules, wild fines are charged and may even be expelled from the country.
It is interesting that tourists are allowed to bring alcoholic drinks in the volume of 2 liters with them to Sharjah. You will have to drink them in a hotel room, behind closed doors and in secret from the staff.
If 2 liters of alcohol run out too quickly, you can take a bus to Dubai for more. The road to Dubai will take about 20 minutes.
