First-ever Palestinian sex shop opens online to.... - PHOTO

Palestine's first-ever sex shop has opened for business after it was given the green light to start trading by Muslim scholars.The Ramallah-based online store - called Karaz, which means 'cherries' in Arabic - went live this week stocking vibrators, candy G-strings and lubricants, amongst other products.After obtaining a supporting fatwa from local sheiks, the website's founder, Ashraf Alkiswani, now hopes to attract customers from across the Arab world.He told The Guardian: 'It's not about just sex. It's about love and the joy of expressing that love.'It's about trying to build bridges across gaps that separate the husband from the wife by improving sexual harmony, which in turn will lead to happier marriages, less divorce and less infidelity.'In that sense, it is a social project.'According to Islamic teachings sex is exclusively reserved for married couples, so the unmarried 30-year-old Palestinian-American businessman admitted he was a little nervous about asking the sheikhs for their approval.But he had two stories up his sleeve which compelled him to start his business, and that he felt sure would win the support of the Muslim scholars.One was of a couple who, on their wedding night, were on the one hand so nervous, and the other so keen, to 'begin [their] sexual journey' that they didn't even think to use foreplay, with the unfortunate result that the bride ended up in hospital with bleeding for three days.The second was a tale of a 25-year-old mother of five who, after being shown how to use a condom with her fingers as an example, went on to have sex with the prophylactic on her hand.Mr Alkiswani says he departed the mosque with the unanimous approval of the sheikhs for his venture.Contrary to the belief of many non-Muslims, the religion's teachings encourage sexual intimacy within marriage - and not just for procreation.Islamic law allows women to divorce their husbands on the grounds of a lack of sexual fulfilment and, as Mr Alkiswani points out, a pronouncement by the Muhammad, the Muslim prophet, says: 'Not one of you should fall upon his wife like an animal; but let their first be a messenger between you.''And what is that messenger? Kisses and words,' added the entrepreneur.However, befitting the comparatively less wantonly promiscuous nature of Islamic culture, Karaz is not like the sex shops those of us in the West may be used to.'Pornography and raunchy schematics are not used to sell our products,' the website says.It adds: 'We currently live in a time where love making is cheapened by risqué marketing advertisements. That’s what sets Karaz apart, in a league of its own. 'Our aim is to provide a range of tasteful products to help rekindle the purity and passion between married couples.'Karaz is proud to help foster healthy relationships and open communication by offering a wide spectrum of marital aids that help husbands and wives achieve and maintain an intimate lifestyle.'(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az