Eatiquette

When Eating in a Restaurant Is Evil

Last week, the Daily News perused Pastor Terry Jones’s “Academy Rulebook” and noticed that he forbids his prospective ministers from eating in restaurants (presumably they should instead roast pigs in their backyards, over a stack of Korans). Today, Denver blog Café Society marvels at the exact wording of the rules.

Food

Light and healthy diet is recommended.

Sweets, cake and things like that are not allowed.

No alcohol.

No eating out in restaurants.

The students [sic] responsible for what he eats. There is no law about that.

Students will be put on the scale once a week to follow the tendency. Each student received his weight goal, that must be reached, otherwise this category is failed.

Wow — that’s a moral-culinary righteousness worthy of the Vegan Police in Scott Pilgrim. Meanwhile, in Casablanca last night, activist Abdullah Zaazaa was arrested for buying alcohol during Ramadan (according to the Morocco Board News Service report, he was released without being charged). Eurasia Review points out that in Morocco, “any Muslim who breaks the Ramadan fast in a public place could be punished by a fine and a prison sentence of up to 6 months,” a law that’s increasingly being challenged.

In Algeria, ten men were arrested when they were caught inside of a restaurant that had its shades drawn. The men were released because (according to an activist) “there is no law in Algeria prohibiting eating on Ramadan, only one banning ‘mocking Ramadan.’” But they could still face two years in jail when the court issues a verdict in November.

All of this is to say that if Pastor Jones had met with the imam last week, it probably wouldn’t have been over burgers at 21 Club.

Moroccans Debate Controversial Ramadan Fast Law [Eurasia Review]
Human Rights Activist Arrested for Buying Alcohol [Morocco Board]
reepy, nutcase pastor Terry Jones thinks eating in restaurants is a sin [Café Society]
Algerian men put to justice for breaking the Ramadan fast [Jerusalem Post]
Creepy, nutcase pastor Terry Jones thinks eating in restaurants is a sin [Café Society]

When Eating in a Restaurant Is Evil