SOME time back, IKRAM Health Malaysia president Dr Mohd Afiq Mohd Nor has raised this mind-boggling question as to why Muslims are “mentally too weak” to boycott cigarettes – or vapes – even when their halal status remains obscure.
This prompted the emergency physician to propose to local authorities – with the support of state religious departments – to incorporate as part of licensing condition for retailers to place “non-halal” sign on cigarette/vape racks.
Although Dr Afiq contended that there was a fatwa issued in 1995 to make cigarette sale to Muslims illegal followed by another similar fatwa for vape in 2015, the fact is that many habitual smokers used the “makruh” (an offensive act that does not amount to forbidden) argument to justify their smoking habit.
If merely non-halal signages cannot do the trick Malaysiankini journalist Aidila Razak has mooted the idea of not only placing cigarettes or vaping devices along other non-halal products in stores (as suggested by Religious Minister Datuk Dr Na’im Mokhtar) but “to display them right smack in the chiller with all the pork cuts”.
“Anyway, I’m not a smoker so can’t say if this is a true reflection of smoker psychology or not,” she tweeted on the X platform.
“But as far as deterring the majority group from smoking, it’s an interesting and dare I say, innovative public health strategy. 😂 But then again, there’s prospect of them resorting to illicit cigarette as an option”.
A hilarious comment on the story of proposal to place cigarettes at non-halal sections.
“You can display cigarettes right smack in the chiller with all the pork cuts, but if a Muslim smokers are ALLOWED to purchase it, THEY WILL.” 😂https://t.co/vAXANZ7wxA
— Aidila Razak (@aidilarazak) September 10, 2024
But one commenter reckoned that “creative Muslims will come out with solutions such as halal beer, halal pork or halal casino” which Aidila brushed aside as “very unlikely”.
Another more radical/extreme idea but one which boasts great psychological impact is “to make it mandatory for pig’s blood to be injected into the ciggie’s filter”.
“But the repercussion is that our nipah trees will become bald as every smoker resort to smoking nipah leaf cigarette,” suggested the wise commenter. “As to the idea of putting ciggies side-by-side pork, the impression gained is such that even if one smokes smuggled cigs, people will assume that they’re ‘smoking pork’.”
But one commenter expressed concern that “the pork will smell tobacco” to which another commenter hilariously put it, “I prefer my hams and sausages smoked but not that way! 😭”
Another commenter took the cue from UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh who had proposed “non-halal” sticker be stamped on the forehead of DAP vice-chairman Teresa Kok (which has landed him in a costly RM25 mil defamatory suit) to do likewise on the forehead of every cigarette purchaser but “limited to Malay customers only”.
In short, a commenter insinuated to cut all the crap by just calling a spade a spade. “Better just state it as haram. Why beat around the bush?” he asserted. – Sept 12, 2024
