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{"id":1737,"date":"2003-03-04T02:05:29","date_gmt":"2003-03-04T07:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/?p=1737"},"modified":"2003-03-04T02:05:29","modified_gmt":"2003-03-04T07:05:29","slug":"uk_muslims_feel_pig_lit_ban_is_unnecessary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/altmuslim\/2003\/03\/uk_muslims_feel_pig_lit_ban_is_unnecessary\/","title":{"rendered":": UK Muslims Feel Pig Lit Ban is Unnecessary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Muslims in Batley, West Yorkshire (where over half of schoolage children are Muslim) were surprised when a school unexpectedly banned<\/a> stories involving pigs to their students. Headteacher Barbara Harris said the decision was about respect<\/a>, claiming that the literature \u201ccould have caused offence to religious sensitivities.\u201d 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, \u201cThis is bizarre. There is nothing to stop children reading about pigs. The ban is simply on the consumption of pork and pig products.\u201d Among the classic childrens\u2019 books with pigs are Charlottes Web<\/a><\/i>, Winnie the Pooh<\/a><\/i>, Babe<\/a><\/i>, and George Orwell\u2019s Animal Farm<\/a><\/i>. Trying not to be too harsh in the face of a rare sensitivity to Muslims, the Muslim Council of Britain<\/a> asked the school district to quietly repeal<\/a> the edict. Continued Bunglawala, \u201cThere can be a cultural misunderstanding and it is good for everyone to discuss it and clear it up.\u201d Interestingly enough, Bungawala admitted that taking the prohibition of eating pork to extremes was \u201coften encountered back in Pakistan and India too.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/i><\/p>\n

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com.\u00a0 He is based in London, England.\n<\/p>\n

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