‘Middle East Times’ offers up a scattered piece on how narcotics, strongly forbidden by Islam, are nonetheless being grown and marketed by Muslim, largely to the benefit of Al-Qaeda and the Taleban. The article, though written by an anthropologist, seems to be missing a lot of context as well as facts.

Narcotics like opium have a long history of use—as well as abuse—in the Gulf States, Iran, and South and Central Asia. The abuse of those drugs, rather than the simple use, is what is forbidden, and of course the line between use and abuse is murky. But less than 50 years ago, it was not uncommon for the old and ailing to send off to the local drug store for their day’s lump of opium tar to ease their day, without legal complication.

Also missing from the piece is how the Taleban changed its position on opium production in Afghanistan. When they first came to power, after the USSR was expelled, they clamped down on production, earning plaudits from the US and others for ‘doing their part’ in the war on narcotics. Only when other sources of income dried up has it moved back into trafficking drugs.

Narcotics in Islam
JAMES EMERY

Religion and nationalism are the refuge of scoundrels, so it was no great surprise to learn that Haji Baz Muhammad, the Afghan criminal mastermind who has made millions of dollars from narcotics trafficking, said he was selling heroin in order to wage a jihad against the United States.

The Taliban, who’ve earned over $1 billion in the narcotics trade under the dubious guise of religious warriors, claim they are promoting drugs to attack the West. I suppose the Taliban consider the fact that millions of Muslims have become addicted to their drugs is collateral damage in their so-called “jihad.”

The Koran bans the use and involvement with all intoxicants and mind-altering substances in the second surah, verse 219 and the fifth surah, verse 90. Wine and mind-altering substances are referred to as “khamr” derived from the Arabic word “khamara”, which means to veil or conceal. Muhammad said that every intoxicant is “khamr”, and that every khamr is “haram” (the Arabic word for forbidden).

“Muhammad says that whatever alters the mind is khamr,” said Ammar Amonette, the imam at a large mosque. “So there is no question that drugs are khamr. There is a fatwa against alcohol and drugs. They are forbidden for the welfare of the individual and the community.”
…