Pigs are seen at a Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer, farm in the United States in this image released on April 11, 2017.
CAIRO – 13 November 2017: Raising pigs in Egypt has encountered criticism as being a source of environmental pollution, though their keepers totally believe the opposite, as the pigs help reduce garbage pollution in streets.
A walk in Meit Okba pig farms
Egypt Today made a visit to Meit Okba pig farms in Giza, where most of the area consists of garbage dumps, where pigs are fed. In addition, some garbagemen work filtering the garbage, and they live off the pigs.
Areas of keeping pigs in Egypt
“Thousands of garbagemen live on filtering garbage and keeping pigs in the Mu’tamediyya district, Giza, while many others work in different areas in Giza and Cairo,” Ahmed Abdul Samie, one of the pig keepers, told Egypt Today.
Abdul Samie added that the number of pig-keepers has decreased since 2009, when the state executed a massive number of pigs in the wake of the swine flu in 2009 in Egypt.
Egypt slaughtered thousands of pigs in 2009
In 2009, Egypt began a mass slaughter of thousands of pigs in an effort to prevent swine flu spreading, BBC reported.
"It is decided to slaughter all swine herds present in Egypt, starting from today," said Health Minister Hatem el-Gabali, according to Mena news agency.
Giza Governorate: We have no problems due to keeping pigs
Giza Deputy Governor for Districts Affairs Alaa Al- Harras said that the governorate has no problem as a result of keeping pigs, adding, “We leave them free,” and the governorate has not submitted a proposal for moving their farms.
Health Minister: Swine flu no longer exists
In the same context, the chief of the Health Department in Giza governorate said that the H1N1 swine flu has not existed for a few years, adding that there are no recent cases of the virus, which is linked to pigs.
Garbagemen chief: Pork is a main demand for restaurants
“Pork helps reduce demand on beef, as fighting pig-keeping is one of the main reasons for beef prices hiking”, Shehata al- Mukaddas, chief of the garbagemen and a pig-keeper, told Egypt Today.
Pork is widely eaten by Christians, foreigners and tourists in Egypt, which is Muslim-majority country.
Ruling on pork in Islam: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Pork is “haraam” (forbidden) and it is not permissible to eat it, whether it is the meat, fat or any other part, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al-Maitah (the dead animals not ritually slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine.” [al-Maa’idah 5:3].
Muslims agree that all parts of the pig are haraam. Allah has forbidden it because of the harmful things it contains and because it is impure, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say (O Muhammad): ‘I find not in that which has been revealed to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be Maitah (a dead animal) or blood poured forth (by slaughtering or the like), or the flesh of swine (pork); for that, surely, is impure…” [al-An’aam 6:145].
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