Islam forbids muslims to handle pork products? Isn't it a kind of extreme?

Question

Not asking you to eat or touch them. They are all pretty much wrapped up.

Some Muslim workers at Target refuse to handle pork
Submitted by Chris Serres, Star Tribune Staff Writer on Mon, 03/12/2007 - 5:21pm.

How would you feel if a cashier made you swipe your own groceries because of his/her religious beliefs?

I'm a reporter who covers Target for the Star Tribune and the other day, I got a call from someone who said that an employee at the Target store downtown refused to run his bacon through a scanning machine. He was mighty upset, arguing that the cashier had "no right to work as a cashier at Target" if she wasn't prepared to swipe his groceries.

At the Target store on E. Lake Street, a cashier wearing a hijab looked uncomfortable when I showed up at the cash register with a frozen pepperoni pizza.

I asked her if it was because she was Muslim, and she nodded her head. "I can't even touch it," she said.

Read it at,

http://www.buzz.mn/?q=node/898

Answer 1

Well, I am a Muslimah. I will advised the lady to work somewhere else if she find it is uncomfortable for her to handle pork. Muslim cannot touch or eat pork but the penalty is not death. In fact we can handle pork, only after touching we have to cleanse ourself. There are reason why we cannot eat pork and I think I don't have to explain it here.
And I strongly advised the lady either she accepted her duties and cleanse herself or she go find job that suitable her because I do not believe in imposing my religion onto others. And on behalf on Muslim community I very much would want to apologise on behalf of my fellow Muslimah. She had given another chance for others to insult Islam.

Answer 2

A BLT, a day keeps the muslim away, and that's ok with me. Pork products like all meat must be thoroughly cooked to kill any bacteria in it. A person can get bacteria from anything that is eaten, that includes veggies, if not thoroughly cleaned.

Answer 3

So what. If you don't like it, don't shop at Target. That is part of their religion. Would it be different and tolerable if this "law" was of the Christian faith and a Christian clerk refused to touch it?
Besides, bacon isn't good for your heart anyways, so she was actually helping the guy out.

Answer 4

My Dear Friend!
Islam or Christianity or Judaism or for that matter any religion, is to "Accept the Authority of a Supreme Power - God or Allah, ? ? and then Follow His Commandments, without questioning the validity of that Commandment".
If The Commandment is questionable submission to God gets nullified.

What I mean is that if you question or try to justify any of the commandments by your reasoning or your rationalle, it is no more a commandment that you want to obey, but it is your own decision. Your lord takes second priority. His Commandment becomes a suggestion and you leave it upto yourself, whether to obey it or not.
That makes you a non believer or an athiest.

If you want to have faith in God, God takes command of all actions of your life and you follow His Dictates in Original and as they were revealed. You do not question them !

Answer 5

I would say its religious overdrive. I think you just have to understand them. But you have to insist on something to because it is unfair that you cannot do anything against their rule in their country but since they are in your country then they also have to show respect your rights here otherwise they better go somewhere there is no forbidden products for sale. I am sure there are Muslim stores there. Some Indian store also do not sell those products, I just do not know if they can see each other eye to eye also.

Answer 6

The pork thing isn't even an original Muslim idea anyway. This started with the Jews centuries before Muhamed started Islam. He just kinda incorperated it.

Answer 7

I dont touch it either. Hell, I cant' even stand to walk in a room with it around me without being sick. Also, I will add that it's pretty messed up that this reporter sought this particular cashier out to run his little "test" on her.

Answer 8

It's not extreme. At least in relative to the world of religion, anyway.


Isn't it extreme to believe that those born and raised in the wrong culture will be damned for eternity?
I bet most people would disagree, unfortunately.

Answer 9

Swine are religiously ceremonially unclean animals.
Such is the case with many people who adhere strictly to their faith.
It's extreme, but that's their religion.

Answer 10

She is following her religion, and I don't think it's extreme. Frankly, I admire someone for following their religion this strictly, so long as it does not hurt anyone, because it points out that we cannot be too devoted to God.