A number of factors appears to have led to why the pig is considered a "filthy animal" in Islam and Judaism. However, at the face of 'extreme situations', concessions can apparently be made from this position.
In the struggle to prevent suicide bombers in Israel, there have been propositions, approved by religious authorities, to form a force of 'guard pigs', that would function like guard dogs, sniffing at people crossing security checkpoints and detecting arms and explosives. Likewise, there have been ideas about placing pieces of pork in buses. The point would be that potential fundamentalist Muslim suicide bombers would change their mind about their mission, since if a Muslim touches a pig or pork, he/she can supposedly say goodbye to all those virgins that had been waiting in paradise.
But have the people behind these propositions considered what might happen if the suicide bomber is Christian, secular, or just not so very fundamentalist? And anyway, if they themselves are desperate enough to look away from religious prohibitions against pigs and pork, who says that the potential suicide bomber isn't?
Actually, the notion that a Muslim would be denied entrance to Heaven after touching parts of a pig is "ridiculous", according to Raeed Tayeh of the American Muslim Association in North America. In fact, it seems to be based on urban legends and false caricatures of muslim beliefs.
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Muslim cannot eat pig (any part or produced). They can touch but need to perform special cleaning (wash) method. They can touch and no special washing is needed if both surfaces are dry (no moist, water on both surface). Example, dry hand on dry pig skin.
Ah, I see! That's interesting. Do you perhaps know a good source where I can read more about the practical aspects of this?
What about the skin of dead pigs? Leather jackets, shoes, leather furniture, etc. are very often made of pigskin in countries where Muslims or Jews are not in the majority.
Still, I assume not everyone is so religious that they would care about that? I just can't believe that a politically motivated suicide bomber would let him- or herself be stopped by something like that. It sounds very much like an idea based on exaggeration and alienation of one's enemy.
How does one perform "sertu" and what are the requirements?
Sertu is a purification from heavy najis. The method is to pour one mixture of water and earth, and 6 pourings of water on the affected area. One can begin with any pouring, either water or the mixture. The earth used must not be contaminated with najis substances.
Or check http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24936
Why Pork is Prohibited in Islam
http://www.webziner.com/islam/whypork.htm
Personally - I against any WAR for any reason! Peace!
As I know, pig is "Najis" dead or alive. Including skin, bone etc. Skin is easy to recognize as it carries the signature of 3Dots but it the skin is processed I don't know how!
Check this
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=2075&CATE=137
Thank you for the interesting links!
I'm a vegetarian, and I agree about the health aspects brought up. Also, pigs eat the roots of certain plants, which might accelerate desertification in some areas - another good reason to not raise them in arid regions.
However, I have to disagree with the article about why pork is prohibited on one point - it says pigs are filthy, lazy and avaricious.
The only reason why many pigs would lie in filth and eat offal and maybe even human excrements is that they are kept by humans in such conditions that they have no other choice. If their living space is just a tiny sty that is not cleaned very often (or at all) they have no place to lie but in their own filth. But if you allow pigs more space they will by nature keep their 'toilets' as far away from their eating spaces as possible, just like humans. And if you let them have good food, and also allow them more things to do than just eat and eat to be fattened up, they will prefer the good food and leave bad food uneaten.
Also, when it's very sunny, pigs will roll in mud to protect their skin from being burned by the sun. Humans would do the same if they had no clothes or shade to protect their skin.
Pigs are also not more lazy than dogs, sheep or cows, for example. It depends entirely on how much opportunities they are given to occupy themselves with things. We had a pig at our house, and he was very diligent in grazing and keeping the lawn in good shape, and eating ants and slugs that would have been harmful to our house and our flowers and vegetables. He was also a very curious animal and it was easy to teach him new things. We didn't raise him in order to eat him afterwards, but as a pet, like a dog.
Anyway, it's interesting that the article about pork begins with explaining the misconception that pigs supposedly are forbidden to eat because they would be "sacred" in Islam. I hadn't heard that misconception before. Have you? Do you know what they base it on? Where does it come from?
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