Sunday, July 26, 2009

Santri & Swine Flu

According to the Islamic regulation, Pork (= Pig/Swine Meat) is considered as a food that is Haram (forbidden), therefore cannot be consumed by a Muslim.

Considering this regulation, I was very shocked when I read media report last week ago about 300 Santri/Students at the Dar Qolam Islamic school in Tangerang, Banten, have been suspected of being infected by the Swine Flu.
I was more shocked when the media reported that 8 Santri at the Gontor Islamic school in Ponorogo East Java, have also been suspected of being infected by the virus.

For details on the above media reports, please click here, here and here.

Due to the fact that those Santri do not consume Pork/Pig/Swine Meat therefore they must have been infected by the virus through other sources i.e either through contacts with others who have been infected or through the air that they breath. Whatever the reasons are, I hope that those Santri would not feel so humiliated because they have been infected by virus originating from Pig/Swine.
Morever, the above incidents show that the Swine Flu or H1N1 Virus can infect anyone in Indonesia, therefore a much more serious and harder efforts should be made to stop the spread.

8 comments:

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Unknown said...

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oigal said...

"I hope that those Santri would not feel so humiliated because they have been infected by virus originating from Pig/Swine. "

What a strange thing to say..It's a virus and no-one should feel humilated if infected and unlikely any cases in Indonesia orginated in pigs anyway.

Unknown said...

Oigal ....
You are right that it is strange.
But there are lots of strange things related to pigs, for example recent controversy over the compulsory Injection for those who want to take Haj in Mecca, which are suspected of containing certain cells of pig.

oigal said...

"over the compulsory Injection for those who want to take Haj in Mecca, which are suspected of containing certain cells of pig."

Again bizarre (from my point of view), To issue a FATWAH on that, obviously some people have never seen what meningitis can do..

Even more strange the very scientific fact that (in some ways supports) making making Pig consumption bad form in Islam (aka Pig diseases are easily transmitted to humans) also a the very reason pig cells can be so helpful in preventing pain and suffering in humans whne used for medical purposes.

Linking consumption with medical vaccinations shows a complete misunderstanding of both worlds..

Kelly W. Patterson said...

The swine flu is spread by germs not by eating pork.

Unknown said...

Oigal ...
The controversy was caused by a certain religious belief that eating Pork is Haram/Forbidden, therefore anything related to Pork would automatically be considered Haram.

Unknown said...

Kelly W. Patterson ..
You are right, but in this case we are dealing with a religious belief.