El Asira Online Muslim Sex Shop
Based in the Netherlands, El Asira, "Society" in Arabic, is billing itself as the world's first sharia-compliant online Muslim sex shop (1). The only thing true about the title is that the website is online, is for Muslims, and is a shop. But it certainly is not a 'sex shop' as is generally understood.
You will not find sex toys, vibrators, dildos, or porn. What you will find can be gotten at any Chinese herb store or a decently stocked Duane Reade: a few aromatic oils, some herbs touted as "aphrodisiacs," and some lotions.
Muslims are so 7th century that a photo with a woman showing her tongue would be considered porn in many Islamic countries.
ENDNOTES
(1):
Radio Netherlands Worldwide, First online sex-shop... for Muslims
The idea behind this site which sells erotic products online, aimed at Muslims, is to help married couples "improve their sexual healthâ says Aouragh.
Customers can select from a dozen products from catalogues available for men and women: stimulants, lubricants, massage gels or pills presented as aphrodisiacs. But no vibrators, videos or pornographic magazines.
The look of the site is simple and the products are guaranteed "Halal", without components banned by Muslim rituals such as pork fat or alcohol."Many Muslims have difficulty in obtaining certain types of products," says Aouragh, himself a Muslim and employee in a company that specializes in assisting people with disabilities.
"So long as it does not sell sex toys or things like that but focuses on creams and oils that improve the lives of spouses, there is no need to make it a problem," commented the imam Abdul Jabbar.
