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PORK
!
"Forbidden
to you (for food) are, dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that
on which has been invoked the name of other than Allah" - (Quran
Chap 5:3)
QUESTION: What is the
teaching of Islam about pork?
ANSWER: Pig is
absolutely unclean and eating its meat, and fat etc., as well as using
its skin or any other parts Is strictly forbidden. Allah has said in
various places in the Holy Qur'an;-
"Forbidden
to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine...."
(Qur'an, 5:3)
QUESTION: I, being a
Christian have no difficulty in eating pork I often wonder why Muslim
brethren have not been allowed to enjoy this tasty food, as we Christians
do?
ANSWER: This
question is somewhat aston-ishing because, according to the Scriptures,
even the Christians are not allowed to eat pork.
QUESTION: How can you
say this?
ANSWER: Well,
let us see what the Bible says about pork: "And the swine....
he is unclean to you. Of the flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass
shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you."
(Leviticus, 71:7-8). The same command is repeated in Deuteronomy, 14:8.commenting
upon these passages: "The laws were inculcated and obeyed because
they embodied God's will" (p.371).Dr. E. A. Widmer quotes in his
article Pork, Man and Disease (Good Health, vol 69, no l):-"pork
though one of the most common articles of diet, is one of the most injurious.
God did not prohibit the Hebrews from eating swine’s flesh merely
to show His authority, but because it was not a proper article of food
for man.
QUESTION: Well, these.
revelations are very interesting. Can you please, give some more references
on this subject from Christians' writings?
ANSWER: Yes,
you may see the discourse under the word "Swine" in The Westminster
Dictionary of the Bible which is very clear. Here is an extract from
it: "The Swine was a ceremonially unclean animal It is dirty, does
not refuse to eat offal and carrion, and the use of its flesh for food
in hot countries is supposed to produce coetaneous diseases. It was
not raised by Arabs (Pliny Hist. Nat viii.78), and was regarded as unclean
by Phoenicians, Ethiopians, and Egyptians. To the Jews Swine's flesh
was abomi-nable, the pig was the emblem of filth and coarseness Yet
pork found entrance to the idolatrous feasts of degenerate Hebrews (Isa.
65:4; 66:17). In the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes the command to a Jew
to offer or to taste swine's flesh was used as a means of whether he
was loyal to the religion of his fathers or was willing to accept the
worship favoured by his conquerers (I Macc. 1:47,50; II Macc. 6:18,21;
7:1,7). But many Jews affected Grecian manners, and John Hyrcanus found
it advisable to issue an edict that no one should keep swine. In the
time of Christ one large herd of swine at least was pastured in the
Decapelis (Mark 5:11,13), a region colonized by Greeks, among whom the
swine was highly esteemed as an article of food. There is no reason
to suppose that Jews owned either these swine’s or those in the far
country fed by the prodigal son (Luke 15:15)." (pp.584-5).Similar
statements may be found in almost all Bible dictionaries.
QUESTION: Thank you
very much. But I have just observed that all these quota-tions are from
the Old Testament. They are binding upon the Jews. But we, the Christians,
would like to know what was the teaching of Jesus Christ on this subject.
ANSWER: Well,
I was coming to that point. You see, whatever the teaching of Old Testament,
the same was the teaching of Jesus Christ. He says in clear words that
the laws of the Old Testament were to be obeyed without any change:
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For veriIy I say unto you,
Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass
from the law, till all be ful filled. Whosoever therefore shall break
one of these least commandments, and shall teach men, so he shall be
called the least in the?Kingdom of Heaven."
(Mathew 5:17-19).
QUESTION: I remember
reading this saying of the Gospel Several times. Sometimes I wondered
why Christ stressed this point in so many words?
ANSWER: It was
because he knew that after his ascension some of his followers would
denounce the Law. Jesus Christ himself obeyed the Law faithfully. It
was only after his depar-ture from this world that St. Paul, a forceful
orator, and a member of the "elite" circle of the society,
who took to heart the Greek 'advanced' civilization (as many people
now-a-days, take pride in being 'Westernized') prevailed upon the illiterate
and simple-minded Christians to abandon the Law. The fact that he himself
had never met Jesus Christ, and those who opposed him were constant
companions of Christ, is most revealing. Jesus Christ corrected Pharisees'
misinter-pretation of the Law. For example, his disciples in their hunger
plucked the ears of corn on Sabbath day. When the Pharisees objected,
Jesus Christ replied, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man
for the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27). But he never said anything against
the Law, including the dietary laws. St. Paul on the other hand denounced
the Law, saying that "the Law worketh wrath; for where no law is,
there is no transgression." (Romans., 4:15)
QUESTION: This logic
seems to me very convincing.
ANSWER: Well,
if you are really convinced of this reasoning, then you should see to
it that all legislatures are abolished, and all courts are closed. Thus
there would be no criminal because there would be no law to transgress!
QUESTION: I don't think
any Christian govern-ment would be pleased with this suggestion. Let
us forget it. But tell me how St. Paul abrogated the Law?
ANSWER: He claimed
that “:I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing
unclean of itself; but to him that esteerneth anything to be unclean,
to him it is unclean (Romans., 14:14)
QUESTION: Well, I think
it settles the matter nicely.
ANSWER: No. On
the contrary, it creates more problems than it solves. You see, if that
is what Jesus Christ had intended to be the tenant of Christianity,
why did he not declare so when he was with his disciples in this world?
Why did he advocate the theory of unchangeability of Mosaic Law? Did
St. Paul want the people to believe that Jesus Christ was not sincere
in his pronouncements when he was with the people? We Muslims cannot
believe it. As for the Christians, action speaks louder than words.
QUESTION: I must admit
that you have got a very strong point here. I now agree that according
to the Original Christianity, pork was and will remain forbidden. But,
frankly speaking, I do not find anything wrong with pork.
ANSWER: I hope
that you are not one of those who think that aping the Western culture
is the proof of enlightenment. In directing the dietary principles of
the children of Israel and, there after of the Muslims, God meant these
rules to be a source of con-tinued benefit to mankind. The transfer
of certain disease, as modern medical research has substantiated , would
be adequate justification for this ancient law.
QUESTION: But this transfer
of diseases is not the unique feature of pork. Even beef and mutton
contain some germs of diseases.
ANSWER: Well,
why limit your argument to beef and mutton? We know that even vegetables
contain infectious germs. But the fact remains that pork reigns supreme
in the greater content of germs among all meats that are known to human-beings.
The more we read about it the more we dread it.
QUESTION: Can you name
some of those germs to which you have just referred?
ANSWER: The following
list shows germs or parasites that are found in pork. Many of them are
contagious , others are fatal. This proves once more that the more science
advances, the more Islam is proved to be correct in so many respects.
The present day science of parasitology lists a protozoan ciliate, the
pork tapeworm, and the trichina roundworm as causing important diseases
that the pig shares with man.
QUESTION: Well, I do
not understand these Latin words. Please explain them in simple language.
ANSWER: In fact,
I had not used their full Latin names. For example, protozoan ciliate
is called by the doctors "Balantidium Coli." It is a parasite,
harbouring in the large intes-tine and is the largest protozoan affecting
man.
QUESTION: What has this
“Balanudium Coil” to do with pigs and how does it affect human-beings?
ANSWER: It is
normal inhabitant of the pigs' bowels. It is excreted by its faeces
and finding the external environment unsuitable for itself, develops
a shell round it which is called a "cyst."The cyst contains
living parasites that communicate with man's diet thus enter his bowels,
was found by Dr. Malmston (1857) and Stein (1862). Dr. E. A. Widmer
writes in his article Pork, Man and Disease (Good Health, vol. 69, no.1):
"The protozoan ciliate, known technically as Balantidium Coil,
is extremely common; in swine. Recent surveys in various countries reveal
an incidence range of 21 to 100 %. This organism is much less common
in man. The general incidence of one percent reported in Puerto Rico
is representative of the incidence in many countries. When found in
man serious clinical symptoms may result. Current evidence points strongly
to the pig as the chief source of human infection." (Emphasis mine)
QUESTION: And what are
those "serious clinical symptoms" which are caused by this
germ?
ANSWER: It creates
uncurable dysentry. Dysentry is a disease very familiar to the public.
The symptoms of this disease are horribly acute and may end fatally.
Unfortunately there is no specific cure for dysentry caused by Balantidium
Coil up-to-date. According to Dr. Chandler in his book, Animal Parasites
and Human Disease, "it is only in pig-raising countries and where
there is too close an association between man and this animal that this
disease is common." (Emphasis mine)
QUESTION: What are other
germs which are transferred from pig to man?
ANSWER: There are many more. For example, there is the
"Trichinella Spiralis" (Trichina Worms). Dr. Glen Shephered
wrote an article on the dangers of eating pork in the 31st May, 1952
issue of the Washington Post; and the following information are taken
from that article: "One in six people in the United States of America
and Canada have worms in their muscles - Trichinosis - from eating pork
in-fected with Trichina or Trichinelly. Many people so infected have
no symptoms. Most of those who do have , recover slowly. Some die. Some
are reduced to permanent invalids. All were careless pork eaters."
He continued: "No one is immune from this disease and there is
no cure. Neither antibiotics nor drugs or vaccines affect these tiny
deadly worms. Preventing infection is the real answer. "Fully grown
Trichina worms are about 1/8 inch long and about 1/400 inch broad. They
remain alive for about forty years, curled up in lemon shaped, invisible
tiny capsules between muscle fibres. When you eat infected meat, these
dormant worm capsules are digested but their live contents grow into
full size worms each of which has about 1,500 offsprings. They get into
your blood one to three weeks after you eat their parents. Because many
organs can be invaded by the worms, symptoms can resemble those of fifty
other diseases. This makes diagnosis difficult." (Emphasis mine)
QUESTION: I would like
to know more about this disease carrying germ.
ANSWER: Dr. Widmer
writes in the article, Pork, Man and Disease mentioned earlier:
"The trichina worm is essentially limited to Central Europe and
those parts of temperate America to which its emigrants have gone. "In
comparison with the ciliate and the pork tapeworm the trichina worm
produces the most serious effects in the human body. The adults are
present in the small intestine of man. After mating, the females produce
larvae which enter the blood vessels for distribution to all parts of
the body. These migrating larvae may invade skeletal muscles, brain,
bone marrow, retina, and the lungs. Since each female worm can produce
more than 1,500 larvae, and since these immature worms invade many organs
of the body, many clinical symptoms may appear. In heavy infections
death may take place in the second or third week, but more often it
occurs in the fourth to the sixth week after exposure. Any recovery
predictions vary with the location and number of larvae trichinae, severity
of symptoms, and the physical condition of the patient. And now comes
an interesting observation.
OUESTION: What is that,
please?
ANSWER: “Trinchinosis”
the disease caused by 'trichtna worms" breaks out like epidemics.
And its relation with pigs, like that of plague with rats, was known
to people thousands of years ago. Those who do not believe in divine
origin of Mosaic and Islamic Laws, say that it was because of this epidemic
that these religions prohibited pork. The same article (Pork, Man and
Disease) says.
“It is generally assumed that the presence of trichina worms in pigs
was the basis for the prohibition of their use for food by the Jewish
people." In his book, A History of Parasitology, W. D. Foster (1965)
emphasizes this viewpoint when he writes: "The Mosaic and Mohammedan
prohibitions on the eating of pork are far more likely to have been
to the observation of out-breaks of trichinosis than any other recognition
of an association with tapeworm infestation The association of the disease
with the eating of pork would be well within the capacity of primitive
peoples. Indeed, what is Surprising is that this association was lost
sight of by the world at large, although the conditions cannot have
been uncommon, and looking back we can recognize epidemics which were
almost certainly trichinosis;"
QUESTION: What is the
use of talking about epidemics of long ago? Surely, with advance in
medical science, such diseases must have been eradicated from the face
of earth?
ANSWER: Unfortunately1
this is not the case. The same article says: "Outbreaks of trichinosis
are still common in the United States. Between March 9 and March 25,
1968, four of seven family members in Willoughby, Ohio, developed symptoms
of trichinosis. The family had purchased sausage from a local packing
company and after soaking it in oil for several days ate it raw (Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report, vol.17, no.23). "In May, 1968, a family
of eight in New Berlin, Wisconsin, 'became ill with a disease. Later
evidence was obtained that per-mitted a diagnosis of trichinosis to
be made. All of the individuals ate raw 'beef' hamburger sandwiches
It is assumed ……..”
QUESTION: If it was
caused by beef, why should "pork" be singled out for blame?
ANSWER: Don't
be hasty, my friend. Let me finish the report It goes on to say:
"It Is assumed that these 'beef' hamburg-ers were contaminated
with infected pork since cattle do not harbour the trichina worm (CDC
Veterinary Public Health Notes, February, 1969). The hamburger meat
was bought at a local market that had a single grinder for pork and
beef." And here is the 3rd report: "in December, 1969, trichinosis
was diag-nosed iin seventy-six persons in Washington, Missouri. This
outbreak was attributed to eating locally manufactured pork which was
not processed adequately to destroy the infective larva" (Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report, vol.18, no.9)
QUESTION: Well this
last report presents the problem in its true perspective. The infection
was caused because the pork was not processed adequately. But with modern
scientific methods all bacteria can be destroyed.
ANSWER: It is
a delusion and nothing more. Dr. Shephered writes: "Ordinary methods
of salting and smoking do not kill these worms. Nor can Government inspection
of meat at packing houses or abat-toirs identify all infected pork."
Dr. Widmer says: "It is significant to note that from the time
of God's Command to the children of Israel until this decade, medical
science has had no cure for patients with trichinosis. Treatment consists
of alleviation of the Symptoms caused by the worms rather than destruction
of the worms." After reading these statements of Dr. Shephered
and Dr. Widmer we can presume that there is no guarantee of immunity
when eating pork which is affected by Trichinella worm. To take pork
then is an extremely risky gamble with one's health or life as the stake.
QUESTION: You said in
the beginning that "pork reigns supreme in the greater contents
of germs among all meats known to human-beings." I would like to
have a detailed list of those germs.
ANSWER: In addition
to the bacteria and worms described earlier, pork is the main carrier
of the following germs and parasites.
1) Tapeworms
2) Roundworms
3) Hookworms
4) Faciolopsis Buski
5) Paragonimus
6) Clonorchis Sinesis
7) Erysipelothrix Rhusiophathiae
QUESTION: Will you,
please, explain their relation with pork?
ANSWER: Let us
begin with tapeworm. Tapeworm is called "Taenia Solium" in
Latin. Pork is one of the main sources of this infection. The incidence
of human infection with the pork tapeworm varies throughout the world.
In his now classic report "This Wormy World," (1947} Stoll
estimated that 2.5 million persons throughout the world were infected
with this organism.
QUESTION: What about
roundworm?
ANSWER: It is
a parasite, six to twelve inches long, which is also called a 'travelling
worm because it goes into various organs of the human body. Dr. Ramson
mentioned in the 'Stills parisitology,' that these parasites of men
are identical with those found in pigs; they belong to the same species.
It means that the worm which is found in pork is quite easily transferred
to human-beings where it does a lot of damage. The same statement is
found in Encyclopaedia Britannica, under 'Roundworm.'
QUESTION: And what are
'hookworms'?
ANSWER: The young
worms of this disease enter the human skin by piercing the skin or through
any wounds. Pigs eat up human excreta containing eggs of the parasites
which develop inside them and they hatch into young worms. When these
are passed out they are infectious to man. This infection is very prevalent
in various tropical countries. Encyclopaedia Britannica (vol.11) writes
under 'Hookworm':
“Hookworm is a parasitic roundworm. Two parasites Ancylostoma duodenale
and Necator americanus cause hookworm disease. "Hookworm disease
is a scourge of tropical climates resulting in a debilitated anaemic
population Anaemia in hookworm disease results from sucking of blood
by the adult worms in the intestine and the attendant inflam-mation
of the bowel. A single A. duodenale can remove, on the average, almost
one cubic centimetre of blood a day. As a blood sucker, N. americanus
is about one-fifth as efficient . "In general, the symptoms of
classical heavy infections include pallor of skin and mucous membranes,
fluid retention in the face and extremities, constipation alternating
with diarrhea, abdominal tenderness increased appetite for bulky foods
or unusual substances (clay eaters), sexual derangement’s (delayed
puberty, impotence irregular menstruation), endocrine insufficiency.
stunted growth, cardiac weakness, palpitation, hyper-sensitiveness of
the skin to cold, physical debility, fatigue, dullness, apathy and melancholia."
QUESTION: Now what about
Faciolopsis Buski?
ANSWER: These
parasites were discovered by Lankaster (1857) and Odliver (1902). These
parasites remain latent for a good time in the pig's small intestines.
The parasite on leaving the pig infects the watersnail which in turn
infects man. It is extremely prevalent in China.
QUESTION: And what is
the parasite 'Parago-nimus'?
ANSWER: This
parasite lives in the lungs of pigs. It was discovered by Dr. Mason
in 1880. It is a common parasite which causes pneumonia in pigs. There
is still no way of killing the para-site in the tissues, neither has
anyone found a method of expelling them. The epidemiology of the resulting
is jaundice.
QUESTION: Now we come
to 'Clonorchis Sinesis.'
ANSWER: This
parasite was discovered by Cobbold (1875) and Looss (1907). Clonorchis
Sinesis is a sucking worm, a kind of parasite which inhabits the bile
passage of pigs liver, which is a source of these parasites infecting
people in close contact with pigs. The occurrence of the disease in
China, Formosa, Japan, Korea and Southern India and Vietnam again points
to the close association with pigs. This parasite creates many serious
diseases of liver and chest in human beings
QUESTION: What are those diseases?
ANSWER: If this
parasite is present in the lungs, it may cause pneumonia, if it is in
the air tubes it causes suffocation and if in the intestines it causes
intestinal obstruction, or acute pancreatitis. Then there is Clonorchiasis,
a peculiar liver disease. The liver becomes enlarged accompanied with
severe jaundice, diarrhea and emaciation; it may end fatally. Medical
science, in spite of its strenuous efforts, has not yet been able to
produce any specific treatment for it. Complications in the disease
are none formation in the liver and cancer.
QUESTION: Are there
any more diseases connected with pork?
ANSWER: Yes.
There are "Erysipelas" and "Endemic Haemptysis"
(i.e. Bleeding of the Lungs), and "Brucellosis" (i.e. Swine
Abortion).
QUESTION: What is "Erysipelas"?
ANSWER: This
disease is caused by the germ "Erysipelothrix Rhusiopathiae."
This disease occurs in acute and chronic forms. The symp-tom of the
acute form are chiefly high fever and reduced activity and appetite.
It usually brings rapid death. Chronic Erysipelas causes sloughing of
diamond-shaped areas of skin, and there is residual damage to the joint
surfaces and the heart valves which may result in lame-ness and/or sudden
death. The details may be seen in Chambers Encyclopaedia (New 3evised
Edition 1968), vol.10 under 'Pig' and in the American People's Encyclopaedia,
(1960) vol.15 under 'Pig'.
QUESTION: And what is
its connection with pig?
ANSWER: According
to the clambers Encyclo-paedia, this bacteria "can survive for
long period in the soil and is also found in the body of some 30% of
all healthy pigs. Thus eradica-tion is impossible and overt disease
is not a simple matter of infection." And what is more troublesome
is the fact that the same bacteria causes the same disease in human
beings. Thus anybody eating pork taken from even a "healthy pig"
is in danger of the above-mentioned diseases and death. The said Encyclopaedia
says that "the same organism (i.e. germ) causes 'erasipeloid' in
man."
QUESTION: Now I see
the wisdom of the Islamic law forbidding pork; in fact, I am very much
alarmed by these disclosures. Will you, please, now explain "Endemic
Haemptysis"?
ANSWER: As I
told you earlier, it means bleeding of lung. This disease is quite common
in China, Japan, Formosa and countries where the consumption of pork
is predominant. Patients having this infection suffer from cough with
rusty sputum and have repeated attacks of profuse bleeding of the lungs;
disease in countries where human beings live in close association with
pigs clearly shows that this animal is the reservoir of infection. The
disease is, however, absent from countries where pigs are rare.
QUESTION: And what is
Swine Abortion?
ANSWER: Its scientific
name is “Bruccellosis” The American Peoples Encyclopaedia (vol.
15, under Pig) says; "Brucellosis or swine abortion is important
not only because of hog losses, but also because the disease may be
contacted by man. In the hog, brucellosis causes abortion and sterility.
The disease is difficult to diagnose and practi-cally impossible to
cure. Disposal of infected animals is recommended." In short, the
pig, the supreme germ carrier, is the cause of many serious and fatal
diseases, among them, dysentry, thrichinosis, tapeworm, roundworm, hookworm,
jaundice, pneumonia, suffocation, intestinal obstruction, acute pan-creatitis,
enlargement of liver, diarrhea, emacia-tion, stone formation in liver,
cancer, anaemia, high fever, hinderance of growth development in children,
typhoid, lameness, heart trouble, abortion, sterility, and sudden death.
I do not know,of any other animal carrying So many and so deadly bombs
to wreck the human body.
QUESTION: Now I am fully
convinced that pork is not a food, but a package of poisons Still, I
have heard many people saying that now-a-days Pigs are raised in hygienic
conditions and fed clean food, and that they are quite different from
their fore-fathers, who ate human dirt and soil and that their meat
is not a danger to health.
ANSWER: All the
statements of the doctors quoted above are about those very pigs who
are raised in hygienic conditions and still carry the germs. Those are
the findings of recent times based on experiences of modern pig-raising.And
still you must have marked such statements as follows:
"Balantidium Coli is extremely common in swine. Recent surveys
reveal an incidence of 21 to 100 percent." "It is only in
pig-raising countries that this disease is common. One in six people
in U.S. A. and Canada have worms in their muscles from eating pork.
"No one is immune from this disease and there is no cure. Neither
antibiotics nor drugs or vaccines effect these tiny deadly worms. There
is still no way of killing the para-site (Paragonimus) in the tissues,
neither has anyone found a method of expelling them. Medical science,
in spite of its strenuous efforts, has not yet been able to produce
any specific treatment for it (Clonorchiasis). 'Erysipelothix' is found
in the body of some 30% all healthy pigs. Thus eradication is impossible."
Today, all pig farms are run on so-called hygienic principles, But still
the result is the same as it was centuries earlier. Still, let us, for
the sake of discussion, accept that a time may come (in distant future,
perhaps) when drugs any be found to counter-act the ill-effects of the
germs and parasites carried by pigs. But even then it will not sanc-tion
the use of pork as a diet, just as discovery of snake-bite serums does
not sanction our putting our finger in the mouth of a cobra.
CONCLUSION: I am really
very much per-turbed by these observations. I find that there is Truth
in what you have said. I agree that pork is extremely harmful to the
health, no matter how hygienic the conditions in which pigs are kept
now-a -days. I promise that from now on I will never take pork, bacon
or anything connected with pig. I know that breaking a habbit is a very
difficult thing; but I hope that by my strong will and the help of God
I will succeed in my resolution.
ANSWER: Yes.
I am sure God's help will always be available to you if you genuinely
want to obey His Command. May God Be WithYou.
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