# Do Muslims Party ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 12, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229 "2008-01-12T02:24:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/1 "2008-01-12T02:24:58Z")
I’m under the impression that there are no gala balls and socials that bring men and women together in Islamic societies… And I can’t imagine a formal party in Islam where the guys dress up . If I’m right, I can understand why the west and women in the west have advanced so far ahead of Islam. Party on guys. Am I onto something here? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/2 "2008-01-12T02:26:42Z")
It wasn’t Protestants who invented belly dancing. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/3 "2008-01-12T02:29:10Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] It wasn’t Protestants who invented belly dancing. [/QUOTE] Nor Muslims, necessarily. At least, according to this (rather poorly written) wikipedia article. [Belly dance - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belly_dance#Origins) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/4 "2008-01-12T02:30:59Z")
Many Muslims from the Middle East come to Bangkok for shopping or medical care. There is a small but active bar area dedicated to the Muslim trade. Go into the basement coffee shop and disco of the Grace Hotel in Sukhumvit Soi 3 – a hotel that is especially popular with foreign Muslims – and you’ll see many freelance prostitutes who cater to them. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/5 "2008-01-12T02:32:38Z")
Suddenly I’m recalling a Muslim I knew back in Hawaii. An Afghan. He loved to drink. His Muslim girlfriend was forever giving him grief over it. Great guy, though. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/6 "2008-01-12T02:38:35Z")
Clubbing seemed to be popular with the younger locals when I was in Turkey. Honestly the question seems to assume there’s a semi monolithic Muslim culture. I doubt there is, anymore then there’s a single Christian culture. There’s a billion Muslims, I’m sure some belong to societies where western style parties are frowned upon and some don’t. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/7 "2008-01-12T02:41:15Z")
Muslims are human, they party. Some of the cultures in the world have been recently indoctrinated into the mindset that Muslims are an “all or none” type of peoples/religion, when nothing could be further from the truth. People are people, by and large, and we here in the US would be well advised to remember that the next time the news throws around “islamofascism” and other such nonsensical terms in order to scare us into hating ALL Muslims. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/8 "2008-01-12T02:50:05Z")
I’ve partied with practicing Muslims, but none of them drank booze (though one did gamble, stating that he’d found a loophole or something). I’ve also partied with ‘Muslims’ from Muslim countries who are more cultural than religious and likely agnostic at their core. They drank like fish, some to the point of alcoholism. In Iran and Saudi they drink the vilest moonshine imaginable, usually hidden in soda bottles. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/9 "2008-01-12T02:54:15Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] Clubbing seemed to be popular with the younger locals when I was in Turkey. [/QUOTE] I’m not interested in muslim men going to a bar or a whore house or a nightclub. I’m interested in parties where men and women socialize, mingle, and dance. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/10 "2008-01-12T02:55:41Z")
They party like it’s 999! Oh, wait. That’s the Taliban. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/11 "2008-01-12T02:57:31Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] I’m not interested in muslim men going to a bar or a whore house or a nightclub. I’m interested in parties where men and women socialize, mingle, and dance. [/QUOTE] Umm…what do you do at a nightclub? I go to socialize, mingle and dance, preferably with women. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/12 "2008-01-12T03:01:40Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] Umm…what do you do at a nightclub? [/QUOTE] Or a whorehouse. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/13 "2008-01-12T03:04:21Z")
In 2006 I visited Libya, a Muslim country. We were there to see a solar eclipse, and the Libyan government had set up camps out in the desert for the eclipse tourists. Local folks of course ran them, including meals, etc. At night, when us old fogeys wanted to sleep, the local young folks had themselves a whoop-de-do party. There was a bonfire, LOUD music, singing, dancing, all kinds of what-not. I did not notice any young women among them, but the guys sure seemed to be having themselves a good ol’ time. There were fireworks, too. In the morning, before the eclipse, there was a whirling dervish. My current employer is a Muslim (and a naturalized U.S. citizen). He says that in the middle eastern countries he knows, after the fasting of Ramadan there is a huge feast, and celebration, a great party. No, there is not drunkenness, but there is a party nonetheless. As there would be for other special occasions. I bet they have more fun parties than Jehovah’s Witnesses. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/14 "2008-01-12T03:06:10Z")
[QUOTE=Malodorous] Umm…what do you do at a nightclub? I go to socialize, mingle and dance, preferably with women. [/QUOTE] Well I don’t go to nightclubs anymore since I’ve haven’t been concerned about getting laid for many years now. **Malodorous** , going to a nightclub doesn’t exactly imply that you are intending “innocent” socializing with women. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/15 "2008-01-12T03:12:16Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] Well I don’t go to nightclubs anymore since I’ve haven’t been concerned about getting laid for many years now. **Malodorous** , going to a nightclub doesn’t exactly imply that you are intending “innocent” socializing with women. [/QUOTE] I go out to clubs occasionally, despite the fact that I’m not single and not looking to get laid. And why does it matter if the socializing is innocent? If your question is “do Muslims go to parties in which there are no sexual overtones”, then I’m not sure that Christians do that either, at least the younger ones. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/16 "2008-01-12T03:16:26Z")
I was introduced to Hash but a bunch of Egyptian kids. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/17 "2008-01-12T03:19:41Z")
[QUOTE=The Flying Dutchman] I’m not interested in muslim men going to a bar or a whore house or a nightclub. I’m interested in parties where men and women socialize, mingle, and dance. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I think **The Flying Dutchman** has in mind something out of Jane Austen, or Cinderella, or a high school dance or something like that. All very proper and formal, perhaps, but with mingling between the sexes and possible courtship going on. Does anything like that exist in Muslim society? ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/18 "2008-01-12T03:29:20Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] Does anything like that exist in Muslim society? [/QUOTE] Again, I question the existence of “Muslim society”. There are a billion Muslims, I doubt they’re all from similar cultures, just as there isn’t really a “Christian society”. I certainly don’t consider myself as culturally similar to my co-religionists (Catholics) in Africa or China or wherever. I’m sure some Muslim cultures have western style highschool dances, and some don’t. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/19 "2008-01-12T03:32:26Z")
There are definitely co-ed raves in Tehran. They are highly underground with the consequences much higher than simply breaking into a warehouse in the US will get you. That’s of course not really a ‘Muslim party’ but it is Muslims partying. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229/20 "2008-01-12T03:34:00Z")
Years ago I worked in pizza delivery with several co-workers from various Middle Eastern countries. Once I asked one of them, an Iranian, if he liked to drink beer. “Man, I’m a _Muslim_,” he replied, scowling. “I drink _whisky_!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslims-party/433229.md?page=2)