National Pig Day-A Muslim’s Perspective
Sunday, March 1st is National Pig Day. When we think of pigs, we concur pink, cuddly, small animals that roll in the mud or about bacon and ham. As a Muslim, the topic of eating pig was an integral part of my day. Muslims are forbidden to eat the flesh of pigs. Islam teaches us to keep our bodies healthy, and avoid things that will affect our spirit, thus foods like pork are forbidden.
Growing up, the only meat that I would eat consisted of chicken, beef, goat, and lamb. Based on this, most can guess that pork was not part of my diet. For lunch in school, I would bring sandwiches, pasta, rice, chicken, or burgers. People would ask me why I never eat bacon or ham. I would always reply by telling them that Muslims do not eat pork since it is considered unclean and therefore forbidden according to the Qur’an. As we were younger, we did not know much, so I was constantly asked this question. People would even tell me how delicious bacon is and would get surprised when I would tell them that Muslims do not eat pork.
Muslims are not the only ones that do not eat pork, as Jews and some Christians do not consume this animal. Jewish dietary law, known as kosher, forbids Jews from eating pork and other animals such as shellfish.
Even though this national celebration is to commemorate pigs, I believe that it is important to hear from different perspectives as you learn more about other religions and cultures.
