The Hypocrisy of Sobriety
-Certainly, you will understand it after some time. (Qur'an, 38:88)

I was thrilled to see Ron Silliman taking on the issue of chemical use/abuse in the art world. By all means, go there and read his plea to those in his orbit...it takes guts sometimes to stand up to those who would and will, obliterate a person for opting to stand up and clearly acknowledge the problem of chemical use/abuse in a typically chemical friendly group of artists and friends.

http://www.spiritualriver.com/drug-addiction/

"Why are the relapse rates so low? (the author obviously meant to say "high" relapse rates)

You have probably heard some of the statistics for how many people stay sober, or for how many people stay clean after leaving treatment. These statistics are shockingly low, and can really be quite depressing to those who are interested in sending a friend or a loved one to treatment.

One reason that relapse rates are so bad is that the pool of possible recovering addicts is so large, and many of them are being “forced” into the statistics. In other words, many of the people who go to treatment centers do so in order to avoid a jail term, and they have no intention of staying clean and sober when they get out of rehab. This type of rehab visit is extremely common, and probably makes up a fairly large percentage of all the people in treatment. Therefore, the statistics are skewed a bit because there are so many people who do not truly want to get clean."


As the world takes new paths and learns more about Islam and the reason so many people adhere to the so-called strict regimen known as submission, it will certainly be interesting to see what research will be produced in countries like Iran who also have their share of chemical abuse problems and associated disorders of the human condition like sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and poverty/malnutrition.

Here is a relatively well written article that describes the overhaul that the prophet Mohamed successfully conducted in the early Islamic society when he eliminated chemical use from the list of what society ought to consider "normal" and "tolerable".*

The Islamic Plan To Combat Alcoholism

It is well known that alcoholism was wide spread all over the Arab Peninsula. The acceptance of the people for alcohol use was at its acme. Literature especially poetry reflects this fact. The deleterious effects of alcoholism was manifested on the social life conducting the tribes to continuous conflicts and wars

The main approach to the problem by Islam, was to adopt gradation in forbidding alcoholism. This was carried out side by side with improving the social conditions of the people. Faith played a major part in these two approaches. The time estimated from the beginning of the campaign to its end was about 15 years. The personality of the leader, "The Prophet" was revolutionary affecting this change. The model he gave, as 1st step was the true example adopted by him and all his near followers and so they were respected and their pieces of advice were accepted, absorbed, well learned and maintained denoting absolute response:

"THE PROPHET GAVE TRUE EXAMPLE TO BE FOLLOWED" (S.33: V.21)

The 2nd step was disseminating knowledge about the evils of alcohol that it is deleterious and detrimental:

THE BELIEVERS ENQUIRE ABOUT SPIRITS AND GAMBLING. INFORM THEM THAT THEY HAVE THEIR EVILS AND USES FOR PEOPLE BUT THEIR EVILS OUTWEIGH THEIR USES. (S2: V.219).

Thus drawing the attention to the deleterious effects of using spirits and gambling.

The 3rd step was rather decisive, it says blankly.

YOU BELIEVERS DO NOT APPROACH PRAYING WHILE YOU ARE UNDER THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL. (S.4: V.43)

Thus minimizing the abuse during most of the day, as the five prayers extend from dawn time until nightfall. The 4th step came when the people had matured enough to accept it through the penetrating model, the persuading orientation and the partial legislation. It was related that one of believers namely "Omar Ebn El Khtab" said in a meeting in the mosque "Oh Allah give us a decisive say about alcohol". At this time of real faith and maturation the last step was declared by the verse saying:

YOU BELIEVERS, SPIRITS, GAMBLING. IDOLS AND FORTUNE TELLING ARE ALL EVILS WHICH YOU SHOULD ABANDON THAT YOU MAY PROSPER. (S.5: V.90)

These vita steady steps treating the social and the spiritual side were the two pillars upon which the plan of combat rested.

History states that since the last verse the majority of the abusers abstained and the people lived without alcohol and did not drink or touch or sell or buy or sit with abusers or even carry it. This picture is unique in history and is a witness of the success of the campaign. From the above stated example we can deduce the items of the Islamic approach.

1. The model of the leader.
2. The dissemination of information about the evils of abuse.
3. Legislative steps were gradual hand in hand with these approaches and the change was to the better of the social life of the people.
4. The law of prohibition and imposing punishment for abusers came last.

Secondly, here is an important paper from WHO which outlines the approach of the Iranian government whose HIV epidemic is quite different from the HIV epidemics elsewhere in the world which, according to a 2005 study was found to be characterized by over 60% of all HIV infections in the Republic of Iran attributable directly to IV drug abuse.

http://www.emro.who.int/asd/pdf/hiv_review_iran.pdf

I think people would be surprised to notice that the Iranian plan is pragmatic and not at all the "fire and brimstone" approach that they might have suspected due to their social bias against "Islam" that has been exploited and manipulated by so many media and government alliances in the name of power and money.




*I am obligated to note that the first article presented by a muslim physician in the field is obviously a Sunni standpoint and most likely attributes something falsely to one of the leaders that the Sunni sect habitually inserts into the "doctrine" without actual evidence of same. Omar ibn Khatab was most likely not the speaker in that instance and in fact, one of the first three Caliphs to stand at the helm of Islam and was responsible for appointing a heavy drinker to the pulpit who literally fell from the pulpit during a famous episode that had been prophesied by the prophet during his lifetime.

May Allah be pleased with the Prophets, Imams, Companions and Believers and have mercy on those who found reason to lie about so many vastly important details.