What’s the deal with the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and… Islam?

• By Raheel Raza

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The latest issue of the LCBO’s vapid and vacuous Food & Drink magazine is out. The prime directive of this putrid periodical is to suggest pairings of food and drink — hence the magazine’s name. And that drink, of course, is alcohol. That’s the LCBO’s bailiwick, after all, being a “liquor control” board.

However, because Food & Drink magazine is government owned and operated, it is also painfully politically correct. And wearily woke.

But isn’t it fabulous to see government woke-folk paint themselves into a corner thanks to their insatiable lust of striving for diversity and inclusion? In that regard, check out the spring issue of Food & Drink, which is creatively entitled… “The Spring Issue.” Namely, on page 24 there’s an article about the Islamic holiday of Ramadan, which kicked off earlier this month.

Um, right off the bat, does anyone see an issue here?

The LCBO doesn’t sell food, of course. But it does sell alcohol — and lots of it. How is it possible that the dimwitted staff at Booze Inc. might be the only ones in the province who don’t realize that practising Muslims aren’t supposed to drink beer, wine and spirits?

In any event, here’s where things get interesting.

When it’s time for Ramadan fasting to end, Food & Drink suggests partaking in such marvellous edibles as hearty lamb, legume soup, and a funnel cake-type fritter called zoolbia. That sounds delicious… but what does one wash it down with? Is it perhaps one of the four beverages depicted above the Ramadan story? Namely, 19 Crimes Snoop Dogg Cali Rose? Flying Monkeys Space Age Sunshine Orange Creamsicle Quadruple IPA? Campri Negroni? Or Corona Tropical Cactus & Lime? None of which are nonalcoholic, by the way.

We reached out to the ever-helpful Hello LCBO chat line. The conversation that followed was unintentionally hilarious.

Indeed, the LCBO goes uber-woke in promoting Ramadan in its liquor magazine… and then realizes that maybe implying that beer made by the Flying Monkeys or a rose from the D-O-double-G Snoop Dogg might not be all that halal?

It's almost as though the Food & Drink Ramadan article is stating the following: “Hey all you Muslims out there. As you end your fast with a feast of hearty lamb and legume soup, please flip through our magazine to see all the beverages you CANNOT consume!”

This isn’t the first time the LCBO has suffered a self-inflicted wound when dealing with Islam.

Which is to say, we have video evidence depicting that if a minor wants to buy alcohol, she — or even he! — need only don a face-concealing burqa and they shall be served, no muss, no fuss (translation: they do not need to unveil or provide identification — which the law of the land requires, by the way.) But apparently, the LCBO thinks that obeying the law might be… culturally insensitive?