God vs. chocolate ... and the winner is...

Sheikh Jalaleddin al-Saghir took aim
 at Iraqis’ immoderate love of ‘Nestle’ –
 a generic term for chocolate bars.
 Photograph: Pierre Albouy/Reuters

Like any other religion, Islam can be top-heavy with solemnity. To an outsider, things like Sharia Law and entities like the religion police and the habit of wrapping up its women can seem ... well, maybe "perilously neurotic" is too much.

But if you want a test of religious conviction -- a challenge that any religion might benefit from -- look no further than the the metaphorical and literal raspberries directed at the Muslim cleric who suggested that the faithful cut back on their profligate spending on chocolate.

There it is ... the cat is out of the bag: In a contest between God and chocolate ....

Iraqis have ridiculed a cleric who said in a sermon that people should cut down on chocolate bars to fight the economic crisis....
A video of the sermon, in which Saghir suggests Iraqis could save 70% of their salaries if they tried a bit harder, has since gone viral, drawing widespread online anger and derision.