: UK Muslims Feel Pig Lit Ban is Unnecessary

Muslims in Batley, West Yorkshire (where over half of schoolage children are Muslim) were surprised when a school unexpectedly banned stories involving pigs to their students. Headteacher Barbara Harris said the decision was about respect, claiming that the literature “could have caused offence to religious sensitivities.” She sent a memo to staff that fiction books containing pigs should be removed from classes with students below seven years of age. But Inayat Bunglawala, of the Muslim Council of Britain, said, “This is bizarre. There is nothing to stop children reading about pigs. The ban is simply on the consumption of pork and pig products.” Among the classic childrens’ books with pigs are Charlottes Web, Winnie the Pooh, Babe, and George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Trying not to be too harsh in the face of a rare sensitivity to Muslims, the Muslim Council of Britain asked the school district to quietly repeal the edict. Continued Bunglawala, “There can be a cultural misunderstanding and it is good for everyone to discuss it and clear it up.” Interestingly enough, Bungawala admitted that taking the prohibition of eating pork to extremes was “often encountered back in Pakistan and India too.”

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com.  He is based in London, England.