Inner Voice.pdf - IslamicMobility.com

Chapter 66Liquor and ‘Nation-Building’Liquor is one of the greatest enemies of nation. Every now and then theleaders appeal to the public to give up this bad habit because it interfereswith the nation-building activities. This week the presidentof Kenya threatened to close the bars of a certain area if the people ofthat locality did not give up drinking.The poisonous effects of liquor on the health and family life of an individualare too obvious to need any description. Also, it is commonknowledge that liquor is one of the main causes of absenteeism in thefactories and offices, resulting in thousands and thousands of lost mandays.Further, it is admitted that drunk drivers are responsible for an unbelievableratio of road accidents, resulting in loss of limbs and lives.And every social worker and priest knows that this abominable habit isthe direct cause of great many cases of broken-up families, frustratedchildren and poverty-ridden homes.Liquor, thus, has these disturbing effects on the public’s health, productivity,prosperity and happiness. Yet, one is amazed to see in the nation’snewspapers advertisements urging people to drink liquor “to helpin the nation-building” But I can not see any connection between drinkingand nation-building.If ‘nation’ means ‘brewery’, then of course drinking will help it. But Ihave not seen ‘nation’ defined as ‘brewery’ in any dictionary. If ‘nationbuilding’means ‘being absent on Monday because of Sunday’shangover’, then the advertisers are right. But is this definition correct? Ifa man ‘builds the nation’ by reaching home after mid-night, by beatinghis wife and children, by keeping them hungry, then the drunkardswould be regarded as the great nation-builders, no doubt. But neither societynor the government would accept this meaning.128