Cheers: The Halal Inn's owner, Azizur Rahman, left, with busness partner Muzahid Khan
Posted on 04/10/2008 7:45:31 AM PDT by yankeedame
Last updated at 13:26pm on 10th April 2008
Beer is being replaced by fruit juice and prayers in the country's first booze-free Islamic pub.
The Halal Inn has a juice bar, snooker tables and darts - along with a prayer room and a steam room.
Traditional Islamic "nasheed" songs are piped into the bar and boards for karam, a billiards-style game popular across Asia, are on hand.
Owner Azizur Rahman and business partner Muzahid Khan spotted a gap in the market and took over the building that used to be the Westwood Inn.
Mr Khan said: "It's a gathering place for people who abide by strict Islamic rulings and don't like going to places where they serve alcohol.
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Cheers: The Halal Inn's owner, Azizur Rahman, left, with busness partner Muzahid Khan
Booze-free: The Halal Inn was called The Westwood before it changed hands
"As a non-alcoholic venue it will appeal to Muslims more, but it is essentially for people from all backgrounds."
"It's a gathering place for people who abide by strict Islamic rulings and don't like going to places where they serve alcohol.
"What we've done is turn the bar into a soft drink and juice bar, with snooker tables, darts, karam boards and nasheeds (Islamic songs) in the background.
"As a non-alcoholic venue it will appeal to Muslims more, but it is essentially for people from all backgrounds."
The building, formerly the Westwood Inn in Oldham, also includes a restaurant serving daily specials, a prayer room, study room, business lounge and steam room.
The drinking hole with a difference opened its doors in December and has been growing in popularity.
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Clean-cut: Mr Khan and Mr Rahman are hoping to pull in Muslim customers
put -off regular pubs and clubs
Mr Khan added: "Halal Inn is a name which most people find intriguing.
"There was a lot of conversations in the community about the whole concept and a lot of people were wanting to know more about it.
"We got a lot of word of mouth publicity and have even had visits from people from Birmingham and London wanting information on recreating the brand.
"It's an alternative to your normal inn – a pub essentially means a place where people procure alcohol, but that's what we're trying to get away from.
"Throughout the world there has been a whole movement about the word halal and products that are branded as halal. Muslims are a major consumer group.
"Because of all this going on we thought that in Oldham we should have a brand of our own. It was easy to replace the word Westwood with Halal. It makes perfect sense."
The venue, which opens from 4.30pm to 11.30pm, will also host a monthly Islamic quiz night and has created a snooker and karam league.
First off, his business partner looks more like his sex partner.
If a private business chooses to do this, no problem with it. At least (based on the pictures) it appears that it is giving Muslims in the UK a way to adapt themselves to the British culture more.
"C'mon in! Kick off your sandals! Detonate yourself at any one of our colorful, comfortable Israeli school bus-shaped booths!"
Sounds like a million laughs.
This would be a fine adaptation. This would be a religious group opposed to alcohol otherwise participating in the culture of their adapted home country. It might not be for you ro me, but it is certainly not staying apart from western culture.
Islamic Pub is an oxymoron.........and they are full of morons.....
???
Ha-ha. You noticed too. That may very well be the reason that they escaped from the Middle East.
anyone got a picture of the burka-clad pole dancers?
Seeing gay people everywhere? If this where a Rorschach test, what would that say?
How long before the bomb factory in the basement goes into full production?
Odd name that.
Maybe something more, well, Brit — Like the Moon and Star or the New Sands......
More power to ‘em. As long as they don’t start screaming to pressure the other pubs in the area to stop serving booze and become “halal,” there’s not a thing wrong with this. Good for these guys seeing an opportunity and jumping on it.
Besides, gathering them all in one place might make it easier for MI5 to keep an eye on them...
}:-)4
If it’s alcohol-free, is it truly a pub?
If it’s alcohol-free, is it truly a pub?
Nope, don’t see ‘em everywhere,
but if you don’t see one here, your gadar needs a tuneup.
If “pub” stands for “public house”, I believe it probably is.
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