I met with an old friend from Malacca in Shah Alam today. Our last meet up occurred nearly five years ago during the day that SPM result came out. Due to fasting month, he invited me to hang out at his place for a while. When I entered the house, I can smell cigarettes smoke odors heavily. I was extremely surprised as he told me that all of his housemates are Muslims. I felt a little bit awkward by sitting there and watch them smoke during Ramadhan. When he lighted his cigarette in front of me, I did questioned him spontaneously, “Don’t you fast today?” Surprisingly, he said that it is fine to smoke while fasting as long as he did not take any foods or drinks until dawn. To be frank here, he did persuade me to smoke with him too! I am clueless to hear the statement did come out from my long-lost friend. To be honest, I was totally shocked and disappointed in him at the same time.
*BCT term(s): Ad populum Appeal to Common Belief.
