Swine Flu: Egyptian Police Battle Christians As They Enforce Pig Cull

Telegraph (UK) ^ | May 03rd 2009

[Steelfish]

Swine flu: Egyptian police battle Christians as they enforce pig cull

Egyptian police fought running battles with stone-throwing members of the country's Christian minority after moving in to enforce a cull of pigs ordered because of swine flu.

By Richard Spencer in Dubai 03 May 2009

Fires burn in Cairo as protestors try to prevent security forces confiscating their pigs Photo: EPA

Pig farmers, many of whom keep their animals in the backstreet slums of the capital, Cairo, mounted a blockade against government workers moving in to slaughter their animals.

When they began throwing stones at police trying to force a way through, officers fired shots in the air and let off tear gas. At least 12 people were injured in the melee, according to one report.

The cull has been criticised by international agencies such as the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, who say that despite the name there is no possibility of pigs passing on the disease.

The Egyptian authorities have admitted since ordering the slaughter last week that it was mainly a pretext for carrying out a reorganisation of the country's pig farms, which are used to supply the country's Coptic Christians, ten per cent of the population.

They say they want to move pigs out of small and unhygienic premises in cities into modern, cleaner pig farms elsewhere.

[sinanju]

Well, okay, raising swine in the cities does not sound like a terribly good idea. But they did mention the pigs eat the garbage.

Best guess is that this is just another way of making life difficult for the christian minority.

[Clint N. Suhks]

Probably the 5th thread posted on this.

But I will say it really makes Egypt look like a stupid third world nation since pigs are not passing the disease to humans. It's a combination of human, bird and pig viruses. When do they start culling birds and people?