Saudi Muslim scholar says running cars on bio-fuels could be 'sinful'

Dubai, Feb. 22 (ANI): Saudi Arabia's prominent scholar Sheikh Mohamed Al-Najim has said those who use alcohol-based bio-fuels in their cars could be committing a 'sin'.

Najimi is a member of the Islamic Fiqh Academy that studies Islamic jurisprudence for the Organization of the Islamic Conference. OIC is an international group with a permanent delegation to the United Nations.

Najim directed his warning to Saudi youths studying abroad, but his warning was not an official fatwa or religious edict, just his personal opinion, the Christian Science Monitor reports.

Najimi added that the issue "needs to be studied by the relevant religious bodies."

Ethanol is a common type of bio-fuel that is made of the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, and its production is similar to that of hard liquor. Plant matter is fermented using yeast, and the result is distilled to increase the concentration of alcohol.

In America alone, 250 million passenger cars and trucks run on E85, which is a gasoline blend with 85 percent ethanol.

Apart from beverages and bio-fuels, ethanol is a widely used in industry for its solvent and antiseptic properties. Ethanol is also a common component of perfumes and paints. The chemical is also necessary in the production of vinegar - one of the Prophet Muhammad's favorite seasonings. (ANI)