We already know that the swine flu–RUN FOR THE HILLS!–has the potential to be a pandemic (just like Avian flu, Hong Kong flu, and Cindy Lu Flu before it). If that wasn’t bad enough, now we find out that it’s religiously offensive as well. From the AP:
Israeli official: Swine flu name offensive
JERUSALEM (AP) — The outbreak of swine flu should be renamed “Mexican” influenza in deference to Muslim and Jewish sensitivities over pork, said an Israeli health official Monday.
Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman said the reference to pigs is offensive to both religions and “we should call this Mexican flu and not swine flu,” he told a news conference at a hospital in central Israel.
Both Judaism and Islam consider pigs unclean and forbid the eating of pork products.
Scientists are unsure where the new swine flu virus originally emerged, though it was identifed first in the United States. They say there is nothing about the virus that makes it “Mexican” and worry such a label would be stigmatizing.
Well, my religion prohibits me from eating Mexicans so I would certainly object to renaming the virus. How about “doughnut flu”? I don’t think that would violate anyone’s religious sensibilities.
Big problem: Donuts are fried in lard, which can be pig fat.
how about Skittles? Who could be against Skittles?
Let us just give it the all encompassing name “Neo-Con Virus”, though the virus itself may protest that it is not half as deadly
Um…Did someone ask them to EAT or TOUCH the swine flu? I don’t recall either religion having any restrictions on saying or hearing the word swine.
Sounds like material for a new book (hint, hint, wink, nod)!
I guess you wouldn’t want an “unclean” virus, because…um…you could get sick from it?