A sacred intoxication,” says Ali, who asked to use a pseudonym, after taking a fresh rip off a hookah packed with pungent hash in Pakistan’s bustling northwestern town of Peshawar. Hash seized: ANF recovers 700kg of hashish“It’s like a second wife, this addiction,” he sighs. While Ali freely acknowledges using hash runs counter to the tenets of Islam, he insists it has its advantages. Whereas alcohol is explicitly forbidden in Islamic scripture, hash seemingly straddles a theological gray zone, which could explain its popularity in the country. But Sufi shrines have been the frequent target over the years by Taliban militants and sectarian extremists like the Islamic State group, who view the mystical sect as heretical.

Source: The Express Tribune December 18, 2017 10:41 UTC