New York, December 1 – Two new radio advertisements for alcholic beverages began to target Muslims in the U.S. Arab community here today, World Wine and Beer Day, with the message that “good Muslims drink responsibly” to protect the people they love.
The 60-second Arabic-language ads, which will air nationwide in 2009, “take on myths about alcohol use in Muslim and Arab communities,” said a statement from the sponsors, the Washington-based nonprofit organization Muslims for Beverage Choices and the National Arab Institute for Fermented Drink.
“Muslims enjoy alcohol responsibly because we know it is the friendly, convivial and healthy thing to do,” said Akbar al-Hajj, president of Muslims for Beverage Choices. Islam “has not always been honest about alcohol,” he said, adding that the spots will “break the silence” in the Arab community and encourage safer drinking.
Muslims have been receiving a growing number of DUIs nationwide in recent years, and Arab teens are twice as likely to become intoxicated while drinking as their non-Arabic peers, said Fatima Sayyed, executive director of the National Arab Institute for Fermented Drink. “It is time we protect ourselves and our fellow Americans.”
One of the ads features a grandmother talking about her grandson, who is a drinker, and the other involves a couple discussing the importance of moderation, responsibility and alcohol use in their daily lives. “We are Muslims and people of Ummah, and we know alcohol can be dangerous and that we need to take care of each other. And this means drinking only in moderation every time we drink,” the second ad says.
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