Mick Hartley

According to the Egyptian Sheikh Ahmed Ali Othman, all pigs are descended from the Jews who had angered Allah, "such that He turned them into monkeys, pigs, and Satan-worshippers", and it is therefore obligatory to slaughter them. Other Islamic scholars, however, disagree. From a translation at Palestinian Media Watch from Al-Moheet Arab News Network (via Solomonia):

There are two opinions among the Ulama [Islamic scholars] in this regard: The first is that the Jews, whom Allah transformed and turned into pigs, remained in that state until they died, without producing descendants. The other opinion is that the Jews who turned into pigs multiplied and produced descendants, and their line continues to this day. Sheikh Othman also cited Hadiths (traditions attributed to Muhammad) as support…

The Jordanian newspaper Al-Hakika al-Dawliya quoted Othman: "I personally tend towards the view that the pigs that exist now have their origins with the Jews, and therefore their consumption is forbidden in the words of Allah: 'A carcass, and blood, and the flesh of a pig are forbidden to you….' Moreover, our master Jesus, peace be unto him – one of the tasks that he will fulfill when he descends to earth is the killing of the pigs, and this is proof that their source is Jewish.

Can't fault the logic there.

Sheikh Othman said that whoever eats pig, it's as if he ate meat of an impure person, and stressed that this Religious Ruling is backed by the Islamic Sages of Al Azhar, but they are afraid to say this publically… so the Sages won't be accused of Anti-Semitism.

Well, you can understand their concern. But let's hear the other side of the argument:

Sheikh Ali Abu Al-Hassan, head of the Fatwa Committee at Al-Azhar [Sunni Islamic university], said that the first view is accurate, because when Allah punishes a group of people he punishes only them. When Allah grew angry with the nation of Moses, He turned them into pigs and monkeys as an extraordinary punishment… but they died out without leaving descendants."

I don't know….you'll have to decide this one for yourselves.