From Middle East Online's article Israel deems 'swine flu' kosher after all
TEL AVIV - Swine flu hasn't skipped the Jewish state. And despite some attempts, neither has its non-kosher name.
Deputy health minister Yakov Litzman, a member of an ultra-religious party, said earlier this week that the name "swine flu" should not be used as it contains the name of the animal banned by Judaism.
Instead he said the authorities should call the virus sweeping the globe "Mexican flu."
That, however, did not sit well with either Mexico's ambassador to Israel nor the Jewish state's envoy to Mexico.
Mexico's ambassador Frederico Salas and the Israeli envoy to Mexico Yosef Livne both lodged official complaints at the foreign ministry on Tuesday protesting at the new term.
"The ambassador (Salas) said he was offended when the deputy health minister's called it the Mexican flu," a foreign ministry official said.
"Israel has no intention of giving the flu any new names. It was nothing more than a slip of the tongue," the official said.
Eating of pork is prohibited by Judaism, the religion practised by the majority of Israelis. Islam, adhered to by most of Israel's Arab minority, likewise bans consumption of pork.
Israel confirmed on Tuesday that two nationals who recently returned from Mexico had contracted swine flu in the first such cases in the Middle East.
Maybe the Malaysian Catholic Church better not use 'Yahweh' in the Malay language bible. They may be sued by the Israeli Talibans who are just as conscious as some Malaysians as to what words should not be used. Wakakaka!
Religious extremists the world over are the same. The problem is not confined to Jew and Muslims only.
ReplyDeleteThey get caught up in the technicalities rather than the essence of their religions.
- the usage of the word Allah, swine flu, women's clothing, forbidding condoms despite the AIDS outbreak......
Isn't this a Malaysian problem as well? During the nipah virus outbreak, the pigs were called khinzir. Nice! Those who know Arabic, like me, strongly objected, as the word khinzir is too terrible a word to mention! I was over-ruled. I realise now that one has to be careful here, as the pigs were Malaysian pigs (of a different status from foreign pigs, I suppose), and the sensitivities of pork-eating MCA members might be offended if a babi is called a babi. So khinzir it was, and ignorance of Arabic by MCA members (forgiveable) and UMNO members (less forgiveable) christened the Malaysian swine which caused the disease, khinzir.
ReplyDeleteThe Tok Guru, of course, knew Arabic and knew the difference when he called Abdullah Badawi "gembala babi" -- he of course, didn't call him "gembala khinzir," as it would have been too terribly offensive. But of course, ignorant UMNO members, led by the great Mamak a/l Kutty (see para. 68 of his UMNO Assembly speech) strongly objected! LMAO!
But what happens if the guilty swine is Mexican? Its' a foreign pig of course, and Malaysian sensitivities won't be offended. So it's now ok to call a babi a babi. What is the disease called then? It's called... well.. selesema babi. Not selesema khinzir mind you, but selesema babi.
Of course, this ignorance of Arabic and its cultural associations extends not only from the prophane, such as the name of the mammal with the four-toed hoof, but to the spiritually sublime as well. But this is no place to discuss the name of the Almighty in Arabic, and the same word in Jesus' own language, Aramaic.
Tok Tak Tik
Who gives 2 hoots WTF the Israelis think about it?
ReplyDeleteBREAKING NEWS!
ReplyDeleteURGENT MESSAGE TO YB LIM KIAT SIANG, DAP & PKR
NOTICE TO REMOVE PERAK SPEAKER
Please get your legal eagles moving on it PRONTO!
If the notice was dated 23rd April 2009 (last Thursday) the it clearly does not comply with the requirement of 14 clear days notice.
If you exclude week-ends and public holidays (e.g. 1st May - labour day) when the State Assembly does not sit, then there's no way that 2nd hand car salesman Camry can comply with the legal requirements of the State Assembly for notice of any motion.
If Camry next resorts to an emergency motion, this can easily be thrown out by YB Sivakumar as 'not being urgent or in the interest of the public!'
So, please investigate and act swiftly especially since every M'sian knows the UMNO MB's appointment IS I;;EGAL has not been resolved by the Ipoh High Court.
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