Drinking with tissue and not without.

I am pretty confident that I am not the only individual who knows about such Muslims, rather in fact, you too must have met at least some if not more people some time and some where belonging to this category and definitely their answer and reaction should have been exactly the same which I have been getting but the situation warrants to be studied very carefully and methods be devised to handle it judiciously. Muslim is a Muslim whether male or female under all circumstances, at all time and at each place and therefore he or she cannot live and act as per his or her own personal choice but in accordance to codified cardinal principles laid down in our religion of Islam. What to do and what not to do, how to do and how not to do, when to do and when not to do etc is very much very explicitly written down in the religion and any deviation from the codified norms and practices is not only unaccepted rather due punishment is also laid down so that any Muslim if breaches any of the provisions then he or she should know in advance as to what punishment is due to be inflicted on him or her as the case may be.

Very often I am invited by ambassadors of different countries to attend their countries; national day receptions attending national day but it is neither important nor appropriate to be discussed here in any case. However, last week I have been invited in succession by ambassadors of Turkey and Austria accredited to Kuwait to attend their countries’ national day receptions and both were held at the same places where they had last year too and almost it happened alike as to what was experienced last year too though it is just a chance that their present ambassadors are not the same who were here last time on this day. Bulk majority of ambassadors prefer to host such receptions at banquet halls of different 5star hotels in the country but there are some those ambassadors too who do not go to hotels and instead opt either the embassy or the residence and needless to mention both the places are construed to be strictly official places enjoying exclusivity meaning by that the local police cannot enter such premises whatsoever. Bulk majority, not all, ambassadors who host the receptions at their embassies or residences do serve real hot drinks (not tea or coffee) on the day so no police can enter the place to arrest anyone who is drinking wine even though such drinking is very strictly not allowed in Kuwait in any case.

Both the receptions were well attended, as always has been the case, and very selective lot of elite of the town be male or female were very much in attendance belonging to different countries from east, west, south and north. Of course, the invitees were both Muslims and non Muslims and, therefore, there were proper arrangements to be taken care of the aspirations, if not needs, of some of the honorable invitees and it is my good luck or bad luck as one may construe that some known honorable Muslim faces I meet on such like evenings were invited by Turkish and Austrian ambassadors also hence we exchanged pleasantries when met on the evening. At both the places truly large tables were spread with all type of salads, soups, meet, sea foods, desserts, cut fruit, ice cream etc any anyone could relish whatever one feels like and I am not exaggerating at all that it was next to impossible for anyone even the one who is believed to be excessive eater to eat each and every item available. For example the variety of appetizers itself was so much that if one takes each one if its variety I am sure he or she is semi full if not fully full.

Host ambassadors waited impatiently for a while for the arrival of the guest of honor to officially mark the day. Two national anthems were played, ceremonial cake was cut and ambassadors spoke on the day and this as such completed the ceremonial part of the national day reception and now the invitees were to enjoy whatever is being offered and this is what I am going to focus on otherwise there was no point for me to pen. Please, please and please do not be offended or hurt with my remarks or observation and honest to God I will not add any salt and spice to it whatsoever rather will narrate exactly as to what is being noticed by me for decades together and not on these two receptions alone. They also earmark an area which is green zone for some of those honorable invitees who will be introduced by me to you in the subsequent lines but the same area is red zone for others including me. Suspense is over and curtain is being removed.

Bottles of different sizes, shapes and colors were in plenty and the tables had many attendants too to listen to your choice and they were offering you whatever you wanted and whatever quantity you wanted and believe you me there were as many Muslims as non Muslims in the special arena to quench their thirst of whisky or wine or both. I could very well that see there were bowls of ice cubes as well on the tables for those who wanted to both dilute and chill the hot drink and some were drinking with ice but of course there were those also who were drinking it neat as well. I have never ever even tasted it so I cannot really figure out what is wine or whisky or for that matter is it more intoxicating to drink with ice or without but nevertheless my only concern had been about those Muslims only who are found drinking here. The funniest, if not foolish part is that some of the Muslims wrap a tissue paper around the glass in an effort to conceal as to what they are drinking but to me it is other way round. The moment one puts up a tissue, mostly white, one makes it still the more conspicuous and noticeable to be honest and if anyone has not noted it earlier as to what someone is drinking will now be knowing that he or she is drinking some sort of hot drink and not any soft drink whatsoever. The tissue as a matter of fact has exposed in totality and that too from a distance though the person had an intention to get some protection from the tissue and not exposure. Say for example, if per chance some Muslim while sipping wine is not putting a tissue around the glass then a brute like me may think as per the color of the drink that it could be either light coke or lemon or pine apple juice which have some similarity in color with the hot drinks.

Should they drink with tissue or not be answered by you and not me?