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.
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.
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.
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"It was easy to replace the word Westwood with Halal. It makes perfect sense."
I find that sentence intrinsically funny for some reason.
Don't just do something! Stand there.
yep i went passed it the other day
5 minutes in car from where i live...
i'll now go for a pint...of coke lol
Me:Hey, mum I'm just going to the pub.
Mum: What?!
Me: The Islamic Pub.
It's a bit of an oxymoron, don't you think?
Chin up, mate! Life's too short.
You've put it in the wrong thread
No not the gum drop buttons! – Gingy
Not really.
Chin up, mate! Life's too short.
pub is short for public house, so I don't see why its an oxymoron.
moron!
Don't just do something! Stand there.
Is this Islamic Inn open to both females and males? I bet it's just males... as usual! I don't think much of the name anyway.
In either case, whether for males or females, does this not encourage wasting time or at least spending less time with the family? Stereotypically, that's what women whose husband's do drink alcohol and spend time at the pub, complain about.
I do think there needs to be some sort of place that [i]young[/i] Muslims, both males and females, can go to hang out or chill out in every town. [i]Especially[/i] for guys, as they seem to really need to chill out outside the home, and atm there doesn't seem to be many places for them. I would absoultely love it if my little brother had a halal place to hang out at with his mates.
This place seems to be for older Muslims, whereas I think it would have been much wiser and more beneficial to the Muslim community if it was specifically aimed at males aged 12 plus.
Allaahu alam. If it is open for both males and females then they must have different opening times for both.
Not really, it's providing an alternative for those who do go to pubs and hang around on street corners.
Sis don't you have any youth centres in your area or youth club projects etc? I think the areas which are highly populated with Muslims have something for the community.
Yes really.
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane, by those who couldn't hear the music...
I think it will work out if it has seperate rooms from male and females. I'm not sure if they provide food there but I know women who wear the niqab would want to take it off to eat. But I thought it was a fantasic idea when I heard about it.
In the Name Of God the Most Gracious The Most Merciful.
By the morning light, and by the night when it is still. Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor does he hate you. Sura 93:1-4
The only One who can get you close to God is GOD Alone Allahuakbar! I
It is quite strange how there are some areas with plenty of places to go for Muslims and other areas which are dead.
When me and my friends go to Edgeware Road, there are loads of coffee shops open late, even the big chains stay open longer - til 11 or 12.
Whereas on Saturday a few of us went to visit my friend who lives in Earl's Court. We walked around for ages trying to find somewhere that A) wasn't a pub/bar or
wasn't a restaurant that required us to buy a whole meal.
We ended up at McDonald's for a cup of tea, and it was smelly, but much more comfortable than when I used to go there when I was younger. They've really done it up- but it was still a last resort.
Don't just do something! Stand there.
Where they sell alcohol!
Chin up, mate! Life's too short.
I think they should have something like this for married women with children coz they need it more. They dont get out much with looking after the children, their hubby and the home.
No not the gum drop buttons! – Gingy
They need it more than who? Why isn't the place for married women?
It can't be for males only, because that would be illegal under sexual discrimination.
I don't see what the problem is.
Don't just do something! Stand there.
More then men. They already have enough chillin places. The youth should be concentrating on their studies not chillin. If they spent more time on their studies instead of chillin they would ace their exams.
Married women have alot of commitments. Many places are mixed and married womens husbands make a big deal if their wife goes out with the girls to a mixed place to chill. If they had some place for females only then their hubbies wont be complaining.
No not the gum drop buttons! – Gingy
What's wrong with the kitchen?
:badgrin:
(joking).
Seriously though, if the wife has a lot of committments then it is the husband's OBLIGATION to look after the kids so she can go out with her friends.
Or if [b]she [/b]is worried about mixed-areas he should take the kids out somewhere so she can have here friends round in the house. [b]He [/b]shouldn't really have a problem with her going to mixed areas unless he doesn't trust her, and if he doesn't trust her then there are other problems in the marriage.
Don't just do something! Stand there.
I think there was this women only Karate school. Women can go there if they wanted. They wanted to specially attract Muslim women so they could beat the crap out of anyone who wanted to mess with them!
Chin up, mate! Life's too short.
There's a ju-jitsu self defence and fitness club run by an Asian muslim sensai in Bradford (there are other sensais with her for almost any1 of any age!)... i used to luv it! its very much like body attack but with a hint of karate (n boxing!) in it!... but i dont anymore which is sad ... however i do kno a lot of my college teachers who still go n one of em is aimin for a purple and another one a 3rd black belt now mashallah!.... its absolutely awesome!
the hubby looking after the kids while the wife goes out with friends
Thats some funny crap
That never happens in a Pakistani marriage. Most Pakistani men (whether they are from back home or British born) dont like the wife going out with her friends. They are very suspicious, think her friends are gonna turn her against him or something. They think that if she goes out she gonna start demanding her haq(rights) and become out spoken. These backward actions of most Pakistani men is the reason why some Paksitani women dont want to marry a Pakistani man. The biggest problem with Pakistani couples today is the lack of trust between them. It makes you wonder why they bother marrying!!!
No not the gum drop buttons! – Gingy
i have to disagree with you on that one. my aunt and uncle have a proper routine with their children, dad takes them out on sundays whilst mum does what she wants. i think it depends on what family you come from and the way you have been brought up. if the husband is suspicious about his wife then surely something is wrong with their relationship.
Ok maybe never was quite the right word, maybe rare would have been more appropriate. Your aunts and uncles situation is rare. MOST ppl of the Pakistani ethnicity are generally backwards. One of my uncles is from back home and he is open minded. He helps his wife with the housework including the cooking (he can cook better then his wife), He lets her go out with her mates to places like wimmy and he even let her go to Turkey with her mates. Now that is what you call a marriage. However his bro who is also married would never let his wife go abroad with her mates. When they had their first kid his wife went back to work part time about after about a year and he didnt like it so she had to quit her job!!! Both of my uncles have had the same upbringing but they treat their wives very differently.
No not the gum drop buttons! – Gingy
Is it just me or are most people that a Pakistani have a problem with an 'uncle'?
Chin up, mate! Life's too short.
that is common in a lot of pakistani families. i'm a lot closer to my mums (maasha'Allah she has 6 brothers and no sisters!) side than my dads. all 6 mamus were brought up here whereas my chachu is in pak. my uncles have brought me up and i've spent all my life with them thus being a lot closer to them.