Shisha is a custom that traditionally fosters conversation, debate and laughter. It is not smoked at home or alone. Take a stroll through London’s Little Lebanon – otherwise known as Edgware Road – and inhale the sweet smells of grape, apple and strawberry that spill from nearby shisha cafes. But the sand from the hourglass has almost run through. Despite customarily being the preserve of Arabic men, shisha smoking in London has extended its client base to include many women and non-Arabic men. However, two thirds of the people smoking it remain Arabic. The Amazon coffee shop is one Egyptian venue from Little Lebanon that wants to lose neither its clients nor a day’s profit that shisha can still bring. They’ve already prohibited smoking, except for the aromatic water-pipe. The July ban on smoking will confine shisha lovers to their homes, thus loosing the essence of the custom. But until the ban is enforced, the prohibition can only thicken the smoke and liven the debate coming out of the Arabic coffee shops.
Featured in aMuse magazine, 2007
