News and Views

Herald Sun: Online Muslim sex shop conforms to Sharia law

Published

May 10, 2010

Amir

CANDID but demure, an online sex shop for Muslims has been launched in the Netherlands to tap into a demand for erotica that does not offend Sharia law.

“We had about 70,000 hits in the first four days,” founder Abdelaziz Aouragh said of his site that went online last week and claims to be the world’s first erotic webshop for Muslims.

The 29-year-old Dutch national said it targeted married Muslim couples as an alternative to sites “that focus on pornography and the extravagant side of erotica” — things forbidden in Islam.

The home page of El Asira, which means “Society” in Arabic, is a sober black and grey street with a line down the centre, inviting women to enter on the left and men on the right.

Once inside, clients can browse in Dutch, Arabic or English through more than a dozen products, mainly massage oils, lubricants and tablets that claim to act as aphrodisiacs.

All ingredients are halal, or “permissible under Islam,” said Mr Aouragh, and conspicuously absent are dildos, vibrators and any type of pornography.

“Most of the other products out there have pictures of naked people or foul language — it was very difficult to find ones that I could use in my business,” he said.

Instead, the website shows only photos of boxes, tablets, tubes and bottles — mainly in pink or blue with the brand’s logo, a black flame.

“We have chosen a respectful approach,” the site said, proclaiming itself “a novelty in the Islamic world.”

Muslim clerics like Dutch Imam Abdul Jabbar see no harm in Mr Aouragh’s site.

“As long as he doesn’t sell sex toys or those sorts of things there is no problem,” he told AFP, adding: the Prophet Mohammad gave lots of advice about sex in marriage and “there need not be any shame.”

Mr Aouragh, who is of Moroccan parentage but was born and raised in Amsterdam, remains a practising Muslim while embracing typically Dutch tolerance.

He said his website was also aimed at easing tensions over Muslim migrants in Europe.

“Everybody is talking about Islam in a negative way,” said Aouragh. “I am trying to get something positive out of the dark.

“Muslims also have to deal with stereotypical prejudices by some non-Muslims on the topic of sexuality within the Islam.”

“We want to share with other Muslims in a positive way our contribution to a broader view of sexuality and eroticism within the Muslim community,” the website says, “for Muslims themselves, as for others.”

Source: Herald Sun

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Amir

Muslim American born in Brooklyn, NY with Guyanese parents currently living in Virginia working full-time as a web developer.

9 Comments

Chang

September 8, 2010 at 11:15 AM

Awesome

Reply
ab

December 25, 2010 at 10:50 AM

Now this is what I call interesting!! What a break from the typicle mundane articles

Reply
Pingback: Can Muslims Date? | American Muslim: The Series
barbiee

April 14, 2011 at 4:00 PM

Astagfirullah!
May Allah bless us all in these bad times of human end. what nonsense this shop is doing? He tried to copy the west because he doesn’t want to hear the west say about Muslim. I would say, why he has to bother about them at the first place? In my opinion, this is totally unacceptable and it is a shirk as if he is trying to spread the shayton’s wrongdoing among muslims living in the west. what is vibrators, why muslims have to use them???
“All ingredients are halal, or â€œpermissible under Islam,â€ said Mr Aouragh, and conspicuously absent are dildos, vibrators and any type of pornography.”
and the Muslim clerics like Dutch Imam Abdul Jabbar see no harm in Mr Aouraghâ€™s site.
â€œAs long as he doesnâ€™t sell sex toys or those sorts of things there is no problem,â€ he told AFP, adding: the Prophet Mohammad gave lots of advice about sex in marriage and â€œthere need not be any shame.â€ OMG what’s happening now? How can a man say “THERE NEED NOT BE ANY SHAME!”
MAY ALLAH GUIDE US ALL TO THE RIGHT PATH, ARMEEN.

Reply
- anon
  
  May 24, 2011 at 8:47 PM
  
  you are ignorant. you must live a sad life lacking sexuality with your spouse.
  
  Reply
- Coorled38
  
  May 25, 2011 at 3:22 AM
  
  Are you saying there should be shame when it comes to sex? Sex is a biological function of your body…like eating, toileting, sleeping etc. How can you be ashamed of something your body is meant to do..was designed to do…is required to do in order to procreate?
  
  May Allah guide you to a fullfilling unshameful sex life…or something.
  
  Reply
- Amad
  
  May 25, 2011 at 5:03 AM
  
  Are you really serious “barbiee”? And I am asking in all sincerity.
  If yes, are you married?
  Did you know how the Prophet (S) took a bath with his wife Aisha (RD)?
  Did you know that in order to say something is shirk or haram, you have to bring some evidence for it? That is, worldly things are halal unless proven otherwise.
  
  To be honest, I think this is a great step (the shop), and hope that all those Muslims who look to satisfy their curiosities in haram ways can use all the tools available to be as creative as possible in their own homes (within the boundaries of what is halal).
  
  Reply
  - leena :)
    
    June 11, 2011 at 6:44 PM
    
    Where does it say that the prophet pbuh to a bath with Aisha ra ?
    There should b an article about the prophet bug and Aisha ra :)
    
    Reply
Marie

June 12, 2011 at 11:30 AM

it seems he put a lot of thought into the website and product selection. well done.

shame of the halal can lead to underground haram. It is ok to enjoy what Allah permitted, especially in case of marriage where that is a central purpose.

Reply