Dear Mr. Emam,
ALCOHOL
Alcohol has been the scourge of human society since time immemorial. It continues to kill countless human lives, and causes terrible misery to millions throughout the world. Alcohol is the root cause of enormous problems facing society. The statistics of soaring crime rates, increasing instances of mental illnesses, and millions of broken homes throughout the world bear testimony to the destructive power of alcohol.
1. Prohibition of alcohol in the Qur’ân
The Glorious Qur’ân prohibits the consumption of alcohol
“O Ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination – of satan’s handiwork; eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper.” Chapter 5- verse 90
2. Prohibition of alcohol in the Bible
The Bible prohibits the consumption of alcohol as well:
a. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1)
b. “And be not drunk with wine.” (Ephesians 5:18)
3. Alcohol inhibits the inhibitory centre
All human beings possess an inhibitory centre in their brains. This inhibitory centre prevents the person from doing things that he considers wrong. For instance, a person does not normally use abusive language while addressing his parents or elders. If he has to answer the call of nature, his inhibitory centre will prevent him from doing so in public, and therefore he uses the toilet.
When a person consumes alcohol, the inhibitory centre itself is inhibited. That is precisely the reason that a drunken person is often found to be indulging in behaviour that is completely uncharacteristic of him. For instance, the intoxicated person is found to use abusive and foul language and does not realize his mistake even if he is addressing his parents. Many even urinate and defecate in their clothes when drunk.
4. Cases of adultery, rape, incest and AIDS are found more among alcoholics
According to the National Crime Victimization Survey Bureau of Justice (U.S. Department of Justice) in the year 1996 alone, everyday an average 2, 713 rapes took place in America. The statistics prove that the majority of the rapists were intoxicated while committing the crime. According to statistics, 8% of Americans commit incest i.e. one in every twelve to thirteen persons in America is involved in incest. Almost all the cases of incest are due to intoxication of one or both the persons involved. One of the major factors associated with alcoholism is the spread of AIDS, the most dreaded disease of this century.
5. Every alcoholic was initially a social drinker
Many may argue in favour of liquor by calling themselves ‘social drinkers’. They claim that they only have one or two drinks and they have self-control and so never get intoxicated. Investigations reveal that every alcoholic started as a social drinker. Not a single drunkard initially starts drinking with the intention of becoming a drunkard. No social drinker can say that I have been having alcohol for several years and that I have so much self-control that I have never been intoxicated even a single time.
6. If a person is intoxicated just once and commits something shameful, it will remain with him for a lifetime.
Suppose a ‘social drinker’ loses his self-control just once and in a state of intoxication he commits rape or incest. Even if the act is later regretted, a normal human being is likely to carry the guilt throughout his life. Both the perpetrator and the victim are irreparably and irreversibly damaged.
8. Some of the Diseases associated with alcoholism
There are dozens of scientific reasons for the prohibition of consumption of intoxicants (alcohol). The maximum number of deaths in the world related to any one particular cause is due to the consumption of alcohol. Millions of people die every year only because of drinking alcohol. I need not go into the details of all the ill effects of alcohol since most of them are commonly known. Below is a list of just a few of the alcohol related illnesses:
1. Cirrhosis of Liver is the most common and well-known alcohol associated disease. Damage to the liver is irreversible.
2. Others are Cancer of Oesophagus, Cancer of Head and Neck, Cancer of Liver (Hepatoma), Cancer of Bowel, etc.
3. Oesophagitis, Gastritis, Pancreatitis and Hepatitis are linked with alcohol consumption.
4. Cardiomyopathy, Hypertension, Coronary Artherosclerosis, Angina and Heart Attacks are linked with heavy alcohol intakes.
5. Strokes, (even with moderate intake of alcohol) Apoplexy, Fits and different types of Paralysis are linked with alcohol intake.
6. Peripheral Neuropathy, Cortical Atrophy, Cerebellar Atrophy are well-known syndromes caused by alcohol consumption.
7. Wernicke – Korsakoff syndrome with amnesia of recent events, confabulations and retainment of memory to old events with different types of paralysis are mainly due to thiamine deficiency due to excessive alcohol intake.
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