Of all the reasons not to use biofuel, and there are plenty (including the idea that it diverts grains that could feed deserving children), this one takes the cupcake (sorry, I had a craving today). 

Dubai-based news channel Al Arabiya reported last week that Sheikh Mohamed Al-Najimi, in a message targeted at young Muslims living abroad, warned that using Biofuels… could violate their religion’s prohibition on alcohol, and hence, be a sin.

The faithful that listen might even take the warning as doctrine with the Sheikh being a member of the Saudi Islamic Jurisprudence Academy.

What the?! 

What is more ridiculous is that this story was picked up by the Christian Science Monitor which reported it with tones that the Sheikh (and hence by association his brand of Islam) was against Biofuels (and hence renewable energy, and hence our efforts to ’save the planet’).

It gets worse, an early comment on Al Arabiya’s article declared: “THE MORE STUPID THE PEOPLE BECOMES THE MORE THEY ARE AWAY FROM DEMOCRACY”

I initially wanted to pick this up as a Sustainability story for EvolvingChoice but just could not because of the way the story might be perceived. But hey, its still enough to make me go “Wow”.