Afghan Clerics Seek Return Of Anti-Alcohol Police

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 7-18-2006

[blam]

Afghan clerics seek return of anti-alcohol police

By Our Foreign Staff

(Filed: 18/07/2006)

Afghan police have destroyed 3,000 cans of beer and 630 bottles of alcohol confiscated from foreign "guest houses" in the capital Kabul during a recent crackdown.

The alcohol, which is banned in Islamic Afghanistan, was seized in raids on guest houses during which seven foreign women were arrested on charges of prostitution. The interior ministry said they would be deported.

The raids were part of a government campaign against alcohol.

Although alcohol is banned in Afghanistan, expatriates living there can buy it in certain shops, where they have to show their passport to prove they are a foreigner. Afghans can buy beer illegally in some shops.

Clerics have called for the revival of the religious police - a feared force that ensured strict religious rules were followed during Taliban rule.

Under the Taliban, the religious police patrolled the streets, punishing women if they went out without wearing an all-enveloping burqa and men who trimmed their beards or were caught listening to music.

The force, officially known as the Department of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, was disbanded after the Taliban was ousted in 2001. But a council of Muslim clerics has suggested to President Hamid Karzai that the department be set up again to enforce sharia law.

Mr Karzai is generally seen as a moderate Muslim, but he has to take into account the views of conservatives.

Under the Taliban, the religious police also clamped down on crime such as theft, bribery and prostitution, and punished anyone who sold or drank alcohol.

[blam]

Will this also include drugs made from poppy seeds?

[untrained skeptic]

But a council of Muslim clerics has suggested to President Hamid Karzai that the department be set up again to enforce sharia law.

Note the complete lack of any substantial information about this "council of Muslim clerics".

Who are these clerics? Do they have a significant following? Do they have credibility with a large portion of the population? Are they simply a small group of people expressing their views?

Seems as if these Clerics had a significant following such details would be provided. From looking at what isn't in the article, this seems like sensational hype rather than journalism.

[oolatec]

Then again, it IS Afghanistan... old habits die hard...

[Centurion2000]

Why the hell did we bother saving these lunatics again?

[himno hero]

yeah right

lets have a round of heroin for the table

you know how it is

alcohol makes our kids crazy, can't take the reins & keep the camel on the road

[308MBR]

The best thing we could do is to convince Karzai to allow full reception of satellite broadcasting, allowing music and free speech, including allowing criticism of ALL religions, even including Islam which is actually a political system posing as a religion, and therefore deserves double doses of derision!

In about two generations, groups of punks will be calling the Religious Police (No, not calling Ralph Reed's bloc in the GOP leadership, however deserving of the same treatment may they be.) to "indecent disturbances" and proceed to open a bag of WHUP-A on THEM!

If the CIA wanted to do some good for the culture of the area, they would set up some thugs bootlegging alcohol somewhere in the mountains of the Afghan/Paki border area.

Insistence on allowing the reception of uncensored entertainment programming is essential to this phenomenon. Bootlegging would help too. It's not like those Opium growers don't know how it's done. It will just take a little push to get started.

Hey, it worked for Marx and Lenin.