It was announced on international news that the Egyptian government would force farmers to slaughter all their pigs to prevent swine flu. This is almost as intelligent as Paris Hilton telling people that she wasn't worried about it because she doesn't eat pork. The pigs are irrelevant at this stage. The flu is transmitted from human contact and according to some WHO officials isn't nearly the threat that the bird flu is. I suspect the combination of the word "swine", the cultural taboo on pork, and the almost universal ignorance among bureuacrats of how disease is spread is almost irresistible. There are quite a number of modern, properly run pig farms in Egypt...just as we have quite a few properly run examples of almost anything here...except maybe government officials.
copyright 2009 Maryanne Stroud Gabbani
6 comments:
I am SO sad for the poor farmers that depend on the pigs for their living. I just read an article online about this and it was awful to believe the government is that ignorant! Even here people are not buying pork! Stupid is as stupid does...Jill
My husband tells me yesterday that his mom called him, saying that if there are any problems, we should go to Egypt since they are killing all the pigs there. And then more stuff about how people will eventually realize that pigs are evil... And then how our daughter can't see my cousin until they kill all their pigs (they have a pig farm). I didn't know if I should laugh or be upset! It totally reminded me of the Paris Hilton comment.
People can be too ignorant. What will happen now to the garbage?? Icky as it may seem, do the pigs not perform a very valuable service of 'recycling' waste?? Too much organic waste will likely be healthy for the bugs, birds, and rats... so, perhaps we risk trading swine flu for avian influenza and plague? I guess we could burn it? Or dump it in the water... sigh...
I think Paris Hilton is advising Abu Dhabi municipality, as all pork products have been removed from the few shelves where they were once sold.
it's not stupidity as much hatred to non Muslims and pigs
This story made me so angry when i first heard about it. What on earth are the Zaboleen going to do? :(
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