Actually the demonstration was against a real threat: the prospect of a pig farm being built in a majority-Muslim country. Nota bene: this is the kind of story we will be seeing in the United States in a few years, if the stealth jihad continues to advance unhindered. We will progress from building footbaths at public expense for Muslim ablutions to abridging the practices of non-Muslims in order to avoid giving offense to Muslims.
Sharia Alert from modern, moderate Malaysia: "Pig farm plan stirs protests among Muslims Malaysia [sic]," from The Associated Press (thanks to Twostellas):
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: A plan to build a major pig farm outside Malaysia's largest city has triggered protests by some Muslim residents whose religion considers the animal unclean.About 200 people carrying banners staged a demonstration outside the Selangor state government's office Wednesday and handed a protest note to officials, the national news agency Bernama reported.
"We are worried that the number of pigs will increase and the environment will be polluted with the stench of pig waste," Bernama quoted a protester, Mohamad Tarmudi Tushiran, as saying.
Prominent newspapers published letters Wednesday from angry Muslims.
"They are challenging Muslims and stirring protests because a pig farm that involves such huge expenses is inappropriate for a country where Islam is the official religion," Mohamed Idris Abu Bakar, a federal government lawmaker, told the Malay-language Berita Harian newspaper....
Their complaints based on Muslim sensibilities may be bogus but, as someone who grew up in the Midwest, I can appreciate their concerns about the stench of pig waste. Of the many varieties of farm animals, pigs produce by far the most rancid smell, as anyone who has the misfortune to live downwind from a pig farm can attest.
Dittoes on the pig waste comment. But you have to balance that smell against the fragrant aroma of smoky bacon, sizzling sausages, or even that hint of sweet and smoky Canadian Bacon in Eggs Benedict...uh oh, I'm drooling on the keyboard.
Anne - Please, I'm on a diet!
It makes you wonder what the piggies ever did to deserve this?
There may be a genuine zoning and environmental issue here, even without the religious overtones.
Over the past few years I read a very sad story about some people who in winter bought a house near a heritage pig farm (i.e. the suburbs had grown up around the farm but the farm's zoning was grandfathered in). When summer rolled around, they were appalled at the smell. So, if the protesters had not mentioned Islam, it would be a non-story, sure. But as it is, they seem to object to this anywhere at all. If the farm is not far enough outside the city, it is a different story.
Chinese Malaysians are not apparently entitled to Sweet and Sour pork in their own country. (Sorry, tanstaafl. Actually, I am trying to lose a little weight myself, which might explain the vividness of the food in my imagination).
I reckon under the European regulations, pig farms don't smell so bad. They are not all concentrated in one shed, they have a nice big field, and every breeding sow has her own little bungalow with a tin roof, providing shelter from the heat of the sun. It reduces stress, and the piglets are able to suckle, play, and generally have a real blast. I swear to God this is all true, I've seen these places myself.
It strikes me that the problem in Malaysia, is due to a concentration of too many muslims in one place. Now that's what I call a public health problem.
AnneCrockett and Eastview; bullseye! Just out of curiosity, would land that's been fertilized with piggy doodoo grow crops that are 'unclean'?
I'm guessing they make these rules up as the need arises...;)
Another point not clearly mentioned is the contamination of the aquifer by large amounts of manure and urine, especially from feedlots.
http://books.google.ca/books?id=ux2inxSrMjYC&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=aquifer+contamination%2Bfeedlots&source=web&ots=K9N0GbbGue&sig=WGio00RZMLb3YjfyhESvR2KO5ao&hl=en
"They are challenging Muslims and stirring protests because a pig farm that involves such huge expenses is inappropriate for a country where Islam is the official religion"
-- from the article above
Meat from pigs is a staple of the Chinese diet. Many of the people -- possibly one-third -- of those in Malaysia are Chinese. They, with the Indians, keep the economy afloat. The non-Muslim proportion of the population has gone steadily down, over the past thirty years, not least because the Muslims have put in place the Bumiputra system, which is merely a disguised tax, or Jizyah, on non-Muslims. And Muslims, now having political power, are more and more exercising that power to make life more difficult and unpleasant for non-Muslims. The exectuive, legislature, and even the judiciary, have all contributed to this.
If the needs of the Chinese population are not met, if they cannot, for example, raise pigs which are a major part of the Chinese diet, then what will happen?
Pig farms are indeed unpleasant to live near, but as the old law French phrase puts it, "Le utility del chose excusera le noisomeness del stink."
As for bans on certain foods or food preparation, the smell of a pig or any other barnyard animal, raised in large numbers -- chickens are also not pleasant -- can be tolerated, for few will be directly affected. Such mells nearby are one thing. But a far graver offense is the manner in which Muslims in Infidel lands, the lands of Western Europe, slit the throats of lambs for their festivals (especaily Eid al-Fitr), and cruelly let them bleed to death -- in backywards, even on streets. This is, to modern Western man, a moral offense, offends our sense of what is right -- Peter Singer and teachers of Animal Rights Law, now a hot topic at a law school near you -- should be getting involved in this --and such Muslim practices should be banned.
Hugh said:
"But a far graver offense is the manner in which Muslims in Infidel lands, the lands of Western Europe, slit the throats of lambs for their festivals (especaily Eid al-Fitr), and cruelly let them bleed to death -- in backywards, even on streets. This is, to modern Western man, a moral offense, offends our sense of what is right -- Peter Singer and teachers of Animal Rights Law, now a hot topic at a law school near you -- should be getting involved in this --and such Muslim practices should be banned."
Exactly! In large German cities, they do it on the balconies facing the street ...
Yes - one has to ask why our animal-rights lobbyists have been keeping very very quiet about this.
On the other hand, I can see a similarity to the view by feminists that FGM is somehow a quaint religious and cultural custom, which the women probably like, so best not meddle.
(I bet the sheep also like bleeding to death ...)
This is a form of cultural and religious imperialism, which regards all those who do such things as somehow not capable of grasping what Western Civilisation is about, and whose cute customs we better not disturb - so that we're not seen to be cultural imperialists.
(I didn't say it makes sense!)
"We are worried that the number of pigs will increase and the environment will be polluted with the stench.........
Hmmm. One could say that about certain people, too.
We will progress from building footbaths at public expense.
Hang on, I have an idea here. The essential bit in this is "at public expense".
If we turn this around, and say: "Sure, you can have the beds turned towards Mecca every day. That'll be £5 daily for the extra work.", we'll be getting back into safe waters:
First, we don't deny them their 'right' to silly religious rituals.
Second, the Muslims aren't getting away with making extra demands on 'infidels' for free. That leaves them without their much-desired feeling of superiority.
Third, we threat 'religious' rituals as any other ritual - it can be performed for a price.
Fourth, this spares our hard-working nurses etc. etc. etc. from wasting their time on non-productive waste.
Fifth, having to pay for it probably will leave most Muslims go "Never mind", or "Ehm, I can't afford that," and the demands will fall flat.
We tried that with a mosque construction project in my town: "Sure, you can build a mosque, no objection. But before we can consider that in the city planning, you have to raise most of the money."
It turned out that they got only a meager 1-2 % of the required sum. The Muslims simply weren't interested enough to actually *pay* for this mosque, and the project fell flat.
A free market economy actually works quite well :)
All Hail Free Markets!
I like eating meat. Pork is a favourite. You just won't catch me anywhere near agricultural areas. The stench from animals is quite something.
Inflation in Malaysia is no joke. It's not Zimbabwe, but it's high. Could be ~5-10% a year (I'm pulling these numbers out of my backside, but when eggs go from 20 cents to 30 cents in 2 years it's high).
I say, no need to worry yet. Selangor is an Opposition state now. I'll be keeping an eye out, though.
I suppose that Muslim children can't read "Green Eggs and Ham" either.
I think that when a Mullah blows himself or herself up for jihad, they come back as a Pig...