Posted on 04/15/2007 1:52:35 AM PDT by Alouette
Text message spreading through Saudi Arabia claiming melons entering the kingdom from Israel are infected with AIDS causes frenzy. Officials deny rumors
Roee Nahmias Published: 04.13.07, 16:14 / Israel News
"Beware of Israeli melons infected with AIDS arriving in Saudi Arabia!" is the latest rumor being spread throughout Saudi Arabia like a wildfire.
An SMS message being sent around the country this week said, "The Saudi Interior Ministry warns its citizens of a truck loaded with AIDS infected melons that Israel brought into the country via a 'ground corridor.'"
The Interior Minister's spokesman General Mansour al Turki responded to news of the message and made it clear to a-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper that the Ministry "did not issue any such announcement. This is just a rumor."
This is not the first rumor to spread through the country recently. Just last month another rumor had it that sweets containing carcinogenic flour were being sold in many stores.
Al Turki urged the public to ignore such passing rumors, and said that the authorities were doing everything in their power to ensure the citizens' wellbeing.
Head of the center for chemicals and toxins in Mecca, Dr Ahmad Elias also stressed that there was no truth to these rumors.
"The center is the first official body that would receive such information, if it were true, in order to investigate and inform the relevant bodies to take the necessary steps," said Elias.
"The HIV virus cannot survive in any temperature other than that of the human body, which cannot be reached in fruits," he explained.
The rumor, despite being denied several times, has gained so much steam in the Arab world that it made it to the front page of one of the most important Arabic language newspapers.
Many received an SMS supposedly from the Saudi Interior Ministry saying, "Please forward quickly."
FRMail to be added or removed from this pro-Israel/Judaic/Russian Jewry ping list.
WARNING: This is a high-volume ping list.
How cute! The barbarians just figured text message-spamming.
Morons.
We will all one day drown in a tidal wave of idiocy.
No respect at all!
For fun: a boy.
For children: a woman.
But for shear pleasure: A MELON
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!
BuHuHaHa!
I do not want to know where those guys insert melons that they think of getting infected. It must be really a fundamental experience.
Their almighty allah probably says: “Holy shi*!”
CIA, are you listening? The fertile grounds of ignorance present limitless opportunities — without firing a shot.
Are you suggesting goats have aids ?
That’s muslim idiocy, infidel.
I just have to laugh for someone who even failed to study BIO 101.
During my time as a Saudi "Guest-Worker", a doctor of my acquaintance, a "nominal" Muslim from India, was being hassled by the religious police (mutawiyah --"mutts" for short) for non-compliance with prayer rules in his hospital. When it got really obnoxious, he merely asked the local nut-jobs to come in for HIV testing. Never heard from them again.
BTW, non-Muslims working in KSA are apt to be proseltyzed quite energetically, but not impolitely. However, 5 times a day, it's wise to keep a very low profile during prayer time. Christian services are held by military chaplains, but clandestinely and in consular or other secure locations.
There is on Saudi TV a rather well-produced English-language program about Islam and Quran. While well done, it would do nothing to allay anyone's fears about the basically scary nature of the ROP!
No need to worry. Iran has the cure for AIDS!
The wave is already arriving and rising. It's up to our waist at this point in time.
Idiocracy.
Rent it today on DVD.
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