MEMRI,May 15, 2009.

According to a May 9, 2009 report in the Jordanian Arabic-language
news website www.factjo.com, the superintendent of da’wa affairs at the
Egyptian Ministry of Religious Endowments, Sheikh Ahmad ‘Ali ‘Othman, has
issued a fatwa stating that all pigs living today are descended from Jews and
must therefore be slaughtered.

Following are excerpts:

Sheikh ‘Othman: The Jews that Allah Turned into Swine Were the Forefathers
of Today’s Pigs

According to the website, Sheikh ‘Othman states in his fatwa that all pigs are
descended from the Jews whom Allah transformed into apes, swine and
worshippers of Satan, and must therefore be slaughtered. He bases this on
Koran 5:60: “Shall I point out to you something much worse than this, [as
judged] by the treatment it received from Allah? Those who incurred the curse
of Allah and His wrath, those of whom some He transformed into apes and
swine, those who worshipped Satan – these are [many times] worse in rank,
and far more astray from the even path!”

The report states: “‘Othman argues that this verse [refers] to the people of
Moses, and that [Muslim commentators] Ibn Kathir, Al-Tabari and Al-Qassimi
bring proof of this in their books. He [also] points out that there are two schools
of thought on this among the Koranic commentators: One opinion states that
the Jews whom Allah turned into swine remained that way and died without
multiplying, while the other says that they did multiply and that their
descendants are still alive today.

“In support [of the latter opinion], the sheikh quotes hadiths in which the
Prophet describes one of the signs that will herald the arrival of Judgment Day:
The Jews will turn into pigs and will then be swallowed up by the earth.”

The report quotes ‘Othman as saying: “I personally tend to believe that the pigs
living today are descended from those Jews, and that is why Allah forbade us
to eat them, saying, ‘Forbidden unto you [for food] are carrion and blood and
swineflesh [Koran 5:3].’ In addition, one of the things that Jesus will do when
he returns to earth on Judgment Day is kill all the pigs, and that is proof that
they are descended from Jews. All the pigs on earth will be destroyed by Jesus
on Judgment Day.”

‘Othman also says that “he who eats pork is like one who eats the bread of an
impure man,” and that “the divine religions, [namely] Christianity and Judaism
in their undistorted [form], forbid the eating of pork.”

According to the report, ‘Othman claims that his fatwa is supported by some
senior Al-Azhar sheikhs, who are afraid to express their opinion in public.
‘Othman is quoted as saying: “I have presented my fatwa to the [Al-Azhar]
Academy of Islamic Research, in order to obtain a clear opinion about it, but I
have not yet received a [formal] reply. This is because [Al-Azhar] is afraid to
issue such a fatwa, which may cause the ulema to be accused of
antisemitism.”