Islamic Cleric Issues Edict Prohibiting Muslim Women From Handling Cucumbers & Other Produce

Harmless cartoon charchter or unstoppable corrupter of unsuspecting Muslimahs? You decide.

A European-based Islamic cleric has reportedly issued an edict that would prevent women from handling cucumbers, zucchini, bananas or carrots to avoid impure thoughts.

An Islamic cleric living in Europe reportedly has warned Muslim women not to get too close to bananas, cucumbers or other produce -- to avoid having “sexual thoughts.”

The unnamed cleric, whose directive was featured in an article in el-Senousa, a religious publication, purportedly said that if women wanted to eat these foods, a third party -- preferably a male related to them, such as their father or husband -- should cut the items into small pieces before serving, the Egyptian website Bikya Masr reported.

BikyaMasr.com said the cleric, identified only as a sheikh, was asked in the interview how to “control” women when they are shopping for groceries, and whether holding these items at the market would be bad, to which he replied that the matter was between them and God

Apparently there's some doubt about the cleric or whether or not there was even an edict that was issued in the first place, as the only source of the El Sanousa article was Bikya Masr.

But the mere suggestion of a strict order for Muslim women handling food has been enough to send people to website forums and Twitter to air their indignation.

Danish/Lebanese journalist Helen Hajjij tweeted on Wednesday: “So if Muslim women should stay away from cucumbers and bananas, should men stay away from melons?”