London Metropolitan University
is seriously considering banning alcohol from its campus thanks to Muslim students who account for 20% of the student population.
LM will not insult my readers intelligence about the evident harm Alcohol does in terms of liver damage, drink driving along with the general alcohol induced violence and carnage we see every Friday and weekend night however, if you need to establish the facts then
Alcohol Concern is a good place to start.
My immediate reaction was one of amusement at the implicit attempt by the Mail above and the Torygraph who refer to "
Conservative Muslim Students" to try and make this a typical onset of Sharia story with public executions next on the cards when in reality it is a serious and considered commonsense response about how to deal with alcohol abuse amongst a particularly vulnerable group, ie students.
Alcohol is a major killer but you can sense the difficulty for right wing journalists who presumably accept the dangers but don't want to praise fantastic Muslim students for being the salvation to all those largely non Muslim parents trembling at the prospect of having to send away little Tarquain or Rupert to Uni where he will make an immediate detour to the nearest student union bar for a drink induced session.
Ignoring the UK and International Muslim students who will be increasingly attracted to this Uni along with general teetotallers quite keen on having a quiet night in the dormitory, LM is curious at how many non Muslim parents will now be considering sending their kids to a Uni who take their children's welfare so seriously that they are willing to ban an age old dangerous tradition while taking flak from the Mail and Torygraph.
LM is no fan of useless Muslim students as I've made clear before however, on this occasion a hijab tip to all the brothers and sisters at London Met not just from LM but I'm sure from many parents up and down the country for helping to ensure London Met is genuinely appreciated as a worthy institution not just in terms of its academic credentials but also regarding a concern it has for the welfare of students.
The Muslim libertarian in me accepts there are two sides to a story and banning alcohol yes did lead to Al Capone and Prohibition. However, this is a proposed ban in a University which will be warmly welcomed not least by the Parents and crucially Police who should be keen about concentrating their efforts on serious criminality rather than having some vomit Muppet of a student in the back of their squad car.
**Update** Muslim students not happy with proposed ban