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| Last gurgle for the binge-shisha-smokers
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| Hamza A. Bajwa |
| Article ID: 1299 | 6612 Reads |
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We should enthusiastically welcome the forthcoming smoking ban in July that will also see the ban of the shisha – the Arab water pipe – a ban that has been a long time in coming. Over the past decade, the apparent correlation between the increase of young Muslims’ adoption of this unhealthy pastime and the increase of shisha cafes across the country is visibly noticeable, especially in the Capital. There has been a rise in Muslims deludingly convincing themselves that gurgling on a shisha is the safe alternative to the clubbing and binge-drinking scene, something Ibrahim El-Nour, who co-ordinates a pro-shisha campaign, acknowledges: "Shisha is the equivalent of a pint in the pub," he says. What is worrying however is that the shisha is being accepted by many as an Islamically viable alternative. This is evident if one simply walks down Edgware Road on a Friday night – groups of Muslim males and females huddling around the proverbial campfire, though in place of the fire are the sweet smelling shishas, exchanging stories of their week long exploits at work. There are even basement hole-in-the-wall cubicles in some cafes that are a perfect place for all sorts of fun and frolic, which some shisha enthusiasts have distastefully named: the Tora Bora caves! Yet, many of these innocent gurglers consider themselves God-fearing, conscientious, practising Muslims. It is also a common sight now to see bearded men wearing the traditional white Islamic garb and women wearing the hijab, often in close proximity, socially enjoying one others’ company whilst savouring all that tasty tobacco. Of course shisha café owners are up in arms and tirelessly campaigning for the shisha to be exempt from the new legislation. And who can blame them when one considers how much these owners ‘pull’ (no pun intended) during the weekend alone. A single shisha pipe usually costs between £6-£10, and with many "shisha joints" open 24-hours on weekends, there are enthusiastic gurglers aplenty willing to kick back and aimlessly puff away.
According to a BBC article, a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which was consulted for the legislation, said the shisha should be included in any ban.
"Using a waterpipe to smoke tobacco poses a serious potential health hazard to smokers and others from the smoke emitted," the report said.
A Department of Health (DoH) spokesman said: "Smoking shisha pipes will be treated in exactly the same way as smoking cigarettes.
"This means any smoking in a workplace or public place has to be outside...as defined in the legislation."
In fact, an article in the New Statesmen this month (12 March 2007) said the WHO study "found that an average shisha session lasts up to 80 minutes and consists of 50 to 200 puffs (compared to eight to 12 puffs for cigarettes). Smoking one shisha can, at worst, be equivalent of smoking 100 cigarettes". Hence, these pro-shisha campaigners have absolutely no leg to stand on from the point of view of health. As for the one who said that the ban would "kill off a youth culture", I hope this was not meant in the literal sense; the reverse however would certainly be more credible and closer to the truth. It is for this reason that Muslims worried by this binge-shisha-smoking phenomenon need to make their voices heard now. They need to actively participate in countering any and all dissenting voices from the Muslim community, such as Murad Qureshi AM, Labour London Assembly, who recognises the shisha to be a "vice" but falsely reasons that its abolition will force our youth towards "heavy drinking and hard drugs". Furthermore, he not only unashamedly appeals for the support of businesses on Brick Lane, East London, which have adopted this immoral money making scheme, but absurdly suggests that this vice "could well be keeping young males away from extremism in amongst Muslim communities"!
Baroness Uddin, however, has pointed to the "numerous representation from parents… who have expressed grave concerns about some of these bars as well as the long-term impact on the health of young people who are frequent users of shisha".
She said: "There has been cases sighted where young people have developed coughs, chest infection and of course becoming addicted."
While Azzam Tamimi of the Muslim Association of Britain is correct on this occasion in saying: "Our youngsters are increasingly sinking into these bad habits."
He added: "It’s nothing to do with Islamic culture."
This is the time we all collectively support this welcome ban; otherwise it could be our own children, taking the place of today’s binge-shisha-smokers, finding themselves in the not too distant future cosily puffing away in those Tora Bora caves.
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