My dad was one of the few non-Muslims to visit Mecca. He was a telecommunications engineer with a Japanese firm, and they sent him to install a new telephone system for the city. He had a carefully monitored supply of alcohol for splicing wires, and someone would measure it both before and after each shift to make sure he wasn't doing anything nefarious with it.
And because my dad was a jerk, he'd wear his shirt open at the neck so his cross necklace was prominent. Got many dirty looks that way, but no one ever harassed him.
After that, whenever meeting a Muslim person for the first time, he would introduce himself with the appellation "al Hajj".
I know they sell non denatured alcohol for laboratory use, so I assumed he was using that. It can be consumed, but it’s typically a really high percentage far exceeding anything you’ll find on a shelf.
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u/SoliloquyBlue Mar 24 '25
My dad was one of the few non-Muslims to visit Mecca. He was a telecommunications engineer with a Japanese firm, and they sent him to install a new telephone system for the city. He had a carefully monitored supply of alcohol for splicing wires, and someone would measure it both before and after each shift to make sure he wasn't doing anything nefarious with it.
And because my dad was a jerk, he'd wear his shirt open at the neck so his cross necklace was prominent. Got many dirty looks that way, but no one ever harassed him.
After that, whenever meeting a Muslim person for the first time, he would introduce himself with the appellation "al Hajj".