GM E85 presentationEnlarge Photo Wow. As if the debate around
using ethanol to fuel cars weren't already complicated enough,
now an Islamic scholar has suggested that driving or even riding
in a vehicle fueled by ethanol could be considered a sin for
observant Muslims. The opinion comes from Sheikh Mohamed al-
Najimi, of the Islamic Jurisprudence Academy in Saudi Arabia. It
is based on the part of Islamic law derived from a statement by
the prophet in which dealing with alcohol in any form--including
purchase, sale, transport, consumption, and manufacture--is
strictly prohibited. The sheikh urged that the issue of ethanol-
powered vehicles should be studied by Islamic religious
scholars, and stressed that the statement was not a fatwa but
simply his own opinion. He noted that any ban would extend
beyond Islamic countries to cover observant Muslims in other
countries. This might include tourists, students abroad, and
other groups. The pros and cons of ethanol as a vehicle fuel are
far too lengthy to cover in thi