Pigs squeal loudly as they are thrown into the scoop of a bulldozer and dropped onto a mass of squirming animals which already half fill the back of a lorry.
After three hours on the highway they are offloaded in the desert, apparently to be buried alive in quicklime and other chemicals.
"We leave them for 30 to 40 minutes until they stop breathing and die," says an official at the disposal site in Qaluybia governorate, outside Cairo.
I felt as if they were killing me. But what am I to do? Ayam Saed, former pig keeper
The video shot by the al-Masry al-Youm newspaper has renewed controversy about Egypt's cull of over 300,000 pigs - which is now more than half complete.
It is being carried out because of fears about swine flu - even though there has not been a single case in the country.
"I was shocked. It's horrible," says Ahmed al-Sherbiny of the Egyptian Federation for Animal Welfare which is suing the government for cruelty.
"These methods and practices are totally unacceptable. Everybody must speak out against them."
Religious objection
Other footage shows pigs being beaten with an iron bar and piglets being stabbed with a bloody knife.
The film has been viewed tens of thousands of times on the YouTube website and has attracted hundreds of angry comments.
Many of those making the comments are negative about Egypt and voice strong criticism of the Islamic religion which they blame for motivating the cruelly.
Many critics wrongly assume that because pork products are haram, or forbidden, under Islamic law, ill treatment of pigs is condoned by the religious establishment.
In fact, Muslim clerics - along with many ordinary Egyptians - have strongly condemned the way the cull has been carried out in some areas.
"Islam has directives in such matters," says Sheikh Abd al-Moatti Bayoumi, former head of Islamic law at al-Azhar University.
"The Prophet Muhammad said if you slaughter, slaughter in a decent way, meaning that you have to be compassionate to animals even if you are killing them."
"Using chemicals to kill them is not permitted by Islam even if you treat the pig as an unclean animal," he said.
The World Society for the Protection of Animals says it is "extremely concerned" about the way pigs have been killed. It has offered expert help to relocate pigs humanely.
Like the World Health Organization, it points out that culling will be "ineffective" to protect people against swine flu, because it is not passed from pigs to humans.
Human hardship
The Egyptian Government continues to insist that the slaughter is a necessary public health measure.
Last week, Pime Minister Ahmed Nazif issued new orders which strictly prohibited violent ways of killing pigs.
But already many governorates have been declared free of the live animals.
For pig owners - who mainly come from the Coptic Christian minority - the cull has been devastating.
Many are zabaaleen - rubbish collectors - who used the pigs to recycle organic wastes and they sold them for meat.
They say their livelihoods, already damaged by foreign refuse contractors, have now been ruined.
Ayam Saed, who lives in Batn al-Baqar, a slum on the edge of Cairo, owned 33 pigs and accompanied them to the slaughter house.
"I felt as if they were killing me," he says. "But what am I to do?"
"They gave me E£1,900 ($340). Since then I've been unemployed. I tried to find work, but I couldn't. Nowadays, foreign corporations are taking the rubbish."
In nearby Manshiyat Nasr, Adel Itshaq has 10 children to support. He used to rely on income from the 50 pigs that he kept.
"I hope God compensates us. We are making no profit. There is no work," he says. "I am sitting day and night in the cafe."
Activists in Egypt are campaigning for new laws against animal cruelty.
But they admit that while human suffering and hardship is so widespread it is hard to get their voices heard.
these kaffirs are crying over their dirty pigs which can't even be slaughtered in a humane way, but when muslims get slaughtered in other countries there is no outrage just condeming,
You can bet the idiots at the us govt will make a statement against it sooner or later
There is no doubt that human suffering in the World makes this a moot point in comparison, and that daily deaths in muslim communities are hardly getting enough attention or action. But still, pigs (regardless of being forbidden to consume) are God's creatures and have living souls, killing them inhumanely like that is so wrong.
There is no doubt that human suffering in the World makes this a moot point in comparison, and that daily deaths in muslim communities are hardly getting enough attention or action. But still, pigs (regardless of being forbidden to consume) are God's creatures and have living souls, killing them inhumanely like that is so wrong.
Yh I've been reading too many comments on youtube, some scumbags even went as far as saying this mistreatment of pigs justifies all the killings of muslims by the kuffar armies
these kaffirs are crying over their dirty pigs which can't even be slaughtered in a humane way, but when muslims get slaughtered in other countries there is no outrage just condeming
There is no connection between the two issues. And there is no excuse for this mindless and abominable cruelty towards the pigs that should evoke nothing but contempt for the real 'animals' involved.
However, neither is there any excuse for some of the comments on Youtube. It is important not to stereotype, though... in fact, the idiots aside, those concerned for the pigs are also likely to be those most opposed to any sort of human conflict anywhere and involving anyone.
Yes people are being treated worse than this. The point remains this is disgusting the people responsible for treating these animals in this way are less than animals in my veiw, its sick unnescessary cruelty. Pigs are Allahs creation and He knows best regarding the punishment these revolting people will get
"O ye who belive! Endure, outdo all others in endurance, be ready, and observe your duty to Allah, in order that you may succeed"
other than that I am really not sure why Muslims have to apologize every other day for one thing or another.. don't you get it? These people hate you.. you'll receive alot of angry comments with or without a reason it says so in the Quran : [3:186] Ye shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in your personal selves; and ye shall certainly hear much that will grieve you, from those who received the Book before you and from those who worship many gods. But if ye persevere patiently, and guard against evil, then that will be a determining factor in all affairs. ...
so it has been on for centuries, it is the subject of operas even their entertainment is about our demise, anyone for 'Armida' do you have any idea what the subject matter of the pervasive thought that occupies most western minds?
They want to take you apart every which way, and while you are busy passing fatwas on maltreatment of pigs or fatwas on how to miswak your wife for being refractory, they move in to another place then another place rob of your homes, your natural resources, and mock your religion......
who the hell cares how pigs are being treated, I don't see an uproar about the children of Gaza, I feel it almost frivolous to address this issue -- I really would rather they come and take the pigs they adore so much for free if the subject is of value to them.
Text without context is pretext If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him
who the hell cares how pigs are being treated, I don't see an uproar about the children of Gaza, I feel it almost frivolous to address this issue -- I really would rather they come and take the pigs they adore so much for free if the subject is of value to them.
Again, there is no connection between between the pigs and 'the children of Gaza'. As to 'who cares', pretty much the same people (outside of those with this ludicrous vendetta against one particular species) who would also care about seeing cows, sheep, tigers, cats, dogs, dolphins or even people treated the same way. There is no requirement to 'adore' any of them.
who the hell cares how pigs are being treated, I don't see an uproar about the children of Gaza, I feel it almost frivolous to address this issue -- I really would rather they come and take the pigs they adore so much for free if the subject is of value to them.
The children of Gaza are not the only one who are unheard, the same goes to children of Darfur or Pakistan who appear to die from acts of terrorism.
This country is dying because of a lack of men, not a lack of programs.
There was a lot of press coverage over the suffering and misery in Palestine during the last round of Israel-Palestine conflict including demonstrations even in remote places like Finland. I really dont see how some articles in papers or caring for some poor animals in that context is in anyway wrong.
Again, there is no connection between between the pigs and 'the children of Gaza'. As to 'who cares', pretty much the same people (outside of those with this ludicrous vendetta against one particular species) who would also care about seeing cows, sheep, tigers, cats, dogs, dolphins or even people treated the same way. There is no requirement to 'adore' any of them.
There is no connection, yet almost in the same breath you say, everyone cares outside of the ridiculous vendetta? If you want to care then there are priorities. Humans as far as I am concerned come first before swine.. whether in Gaza or due to an epidemic... Meat from pigs infected with the new H1N1 virus shouldn’t be used for human consumption, people put animals down all the time for whatever reason, and this case is no different!
format_quote Originally Posted by Whatsthepoint
People would still loose their livelihoods.
which is more important? human life or livelihood?
format_quote Originally Posted by Suomipoika
There was a lot of press coverage over the suffering and misery in Palestine during the last round of Israel-Palestine conflict including demonstrations even in remote places like Finland. I really dont see how some articles in papers or caring for some poor animals in that context is in anyway wrong.
Most articles written about anything to do with Islam, has no care for any 'poor animal' in mind, they have one thing in mind and that is distorting the image of Islam and Muslims, again, as far as I am concerned, anyone particularly pained by the unfortunate treatment of these animals, can come and load truck fulls of them and ship them straight to white castle!
all the best
Text without context is pretext If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him
There is no connection, yet almost in the same breath you say, everyone cares outside of the ridiculous vendetta? If you want to care then there are priorities. Humans as far as I am concerned come first before swine.. whether in Gaza or due to an epidemic... Meat from pigs infected with the new H1N1 virus shouldn’t be used for human consumption, people put animals down all the time for whatever reason, and this case is no different!
which is more important? human life or livelihood?
I never compared the two.
The problem is that no pig was infected..
How do you know? you personally tested them and submitted your report to the W.H.O?
Depriving hundreds of people of their only livelihood in an economically underdevelopd country based on possible infection is not what I call smart.
Egypt has recorded several cases of the avian flu yet they didn't kill every chicken in the country.
Depriving hundreds of people of their only livelihood in an economically underdevelopd country based on possible infection is not what I call smart.
Egypt has recorded several cases of the avian flu yet they didn't kill every chicken in the country.
That doesn't answer the question I posed.. further, when you are in the business of buying and selling, there is always a chance of loss, it is a risk that you have to take..
given that even the 'baba sheneuda' Egypt's highest christian cleric admitted he never eats pigs, that it is forbidden in the bible as per him, I'd say, it isn't very smart to go into the business of selling pigs anyway.. you are catering to a very small minority..
and indeed with the avian flu the same thing happened to birds, and birds sellers, it just didn't receive as much publicity because amongst other things your media is a hypocritical one!
all the best
Text without context is pretext If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him
That doesn't answer the question I posed.. further, when you are in the business of buying and selling, there is always a chance of loss, it is a risk that you have to take..
given that even the 'baba sheneuda' Egypt's highest christian cleric admitted he never eats pigs, that it is forbidden in the bible as per him, I'd say, it isn't very smart to go into the business of selling pigs anyway.. you are catering to a very small minority..
and indeed with the avian flu the same thing happened to birds, and birds sellers, it just didn't receive as much publicity because amongst other things your media is a hypocritical one!
all the best
To my knowledge there has been no recorded case of the new flu in Egypt so far.
They killed every single chicken?
To my knowledge there has been no recorded case of the new flu in Egypt so far.
They killed every single chicken?
I don't know about every single chicken, but even if they didn't people refused to buy them, I was there not a couple of months ago, and still they refuse to eat chicken.. so what can I say, Egyptians know best what suits them.. it is really not an issue for the west to observe or comment on, given their record of ignoring more pressing issues...
as for flu.. do we need to have casualties before we decide to take measures? even though it is difficult if not impossible to have the flu that way, why take risks? prevention is better than a cure, considering they don't have the same ease at obtaining Zanamivir or oseltmavir in the unlikely case it that it does happen.. one human life is more important than all the pigs in the world!
all the best
Text without context is pretext If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him
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