Things I Didn't Really Need to Know

Thank God Al Gore invented the Internet, or I wouldn't know about this...

Deliberate masturbation during the month of Ramadan renders a fast invalid, Iranian Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khameini has ruled.

Khameini, who is Iran's most powerful political and religious figure, was asked on his website : "If somebody masturbates during the month of Ramadan but without any discharge, is his fasting invalidated?"

"If he do not intend masturbation and discharging semen and nothing is discharged, his fasting is correct even though he has done a h?ar?m (forbidden) act. But, if he intends masturbation or he knows that he usually discharges semen by this process and semen really comes out, it is a h?aram intentional breaking fasting," the Iranian leader said, posting the reply on his website.

I don't know if this is all that reassuring to Muslim youth -- basically, they can masturbate as long as they don't intend to do so, and as long as they don't succeed. Somehow, I just picture this leading to a lot more unbridled rage. Maybe this is part of the Iranian master plan.