Muslims protest over pet food factory that could 'rain down' pork

Mr Nice · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:28

A group of Muslims have opposed plans for a pet food factory to be built as possible pork emissions will violate their religious rights.

Butchers Pet Care could shelve plans for a factory in Coton Park, near Rugby, because angry Asian families have complained to their residents' association about pork smells drifting into their garden.

Muslim residents in the area also claim the pork will effectively "rain down" on their homes and gardens after the factory's 100ft chimney has pumped the meat extracts into the atmosphere.

The Coton Park Residential Association said they have received complaints from Muslims - who are directed to not eat pork by the Qur'an - and are taking the matter very seriously.

Muslim families are worried that the pet food factory will infect the air with pork emissions and violate their religious beliefs

One family who live less than 100 yards from the proposed factory, but who did not wish to be identified, said: "A significant proportion of meats used in the pet foods processes are pig meat.

"Our religion expressly forbids us to consume pig meat in any form.

"Because of the way in which this meat material will leave the factory and give that the area can be 'rained upon' we will be consuming pork via inhalation of this 'rain'.

"Not only that but our clothes will be contaminated by pork."

Another family from the Coton Park housing estate said: "The owners of the proposed factory do not dispute the claim that meat extracts of pork will be pumped into the atmosphere via a 100ft chimney.

"They have said there will not be any chemical treatment proposed to treat the meat extracts before they leave the factory."

Association spokesperson Grant Scott said: "Several families have complained because of the smell of the pork, and also if the factory is cooking with it, pork particles and odour could rain down on them from the chimney at some point.

"It was something we hadn't taken on board before but it's definitely important and is a very delicate issue.

"If Muslims are unhappy about it, then Jews may complain for the same reason, and Hindus may complain because of their beliefs about cows being sacred animals.

"There is a significant Muslim element in our area, so there is a potential problem."

Another Muslim family added: "A Muslim is obliged to be clean spiritually, mentally and physically.

"Abstention from eating flesh of swine is one of the obligations a Muslim must observe to attain purity of the soul and of the human nature.

"Therefore, we believe that not only will we be contaminated but also our faith by the owners of this proposed pet food plant.

"In this country we are allowed the right to follow our religion and religious beliefs. By allowing this plan to go ahead our religious rights are being swept to one side for what appears to be economic greed.

"We feel sure that there are other areas where this factory could be built that would not impact on us or others like us."

The Environmental Health Agency are investigating the potential affects, with a decision about the factory's future due in September.

The pet food company said there is an 'almost 99% guarantee' the smell of pork would not reach the Coton Meadows residential area.

A statement from Butchers Pet Care said: "The majority of our natural products are beef and poultry.

"Pork ingredients account for less than 10% of our range.

"At Coton Park we plan to introduce state-of-the-art odour extraction through the chimney stack.

"An environmental impact report has already concluded that emissions at the proposed Coton Park site should not have an adverse impact on air quality and odour levels.

"We would like to reiterate that we do not burn any animal materials."

Pork emissions?

Welcome to Multicultural Britain.

platypus · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:30

How strange. I wonder how one measures Pork Emissions.

PO² emissions?

pinkacidbootson · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:31

That's just taking it too far. You could argue that there is pork everywhere since animals have been dying and leaving remains all over the place for millions of years.

knowledge123 · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:31

platypus said:
How strange. I wonder how one measures Pork Emissions.

PO² emissions?

lol,
I say build it, because evil can manifest itself in many different ways.

Also, they have an odour extractor, so no worries.

Rich_L · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:32

"Because of the way in which this meat material will leave the factory and give that the area can be 'rained upon' we will be consuming pork via inhalation of this 'rain'.

yeah, and pigs might fly...

V4NT0M · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:34

How is this any different from walking past a butcher's shop?

Rich_L · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:35

Skyfall said:
How is this any different from walking past a butcher's shop?

Or a BBQ

V4NT0M · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:37

Rich_L said:
Or a BBQ

Mmmmm BBQ!

JimmyEatWorms · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:37

Raining pork?

Sounds like a Homer Simpson fantasy.

inferno · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:39

Yet muslims at my school were happy to disect pigs hear as long as they were wearing gloves :confused:

TheCrow · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:39

What a load of ****! Causing trouble in the name of religion again, really takes the ****. Im sure there is nothing saying they should not breath air that may contain microscopic(is that the right word) traces of pork. Its not likley to be a much higher content than anywhere else in our country.

Col_M · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:39

platypus said:
PO² emissions?

LOL

Isn't that what you get the morning after a kebab?

div0 · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:43

These kinds of conflicts go on all the time, where people oppose new develoments in their area, particularly industrial ones.

But its tragic that they feel the need to use 'religious beliefs' as the reason to oppose it. As people have pointed out, in terms of their religion it isn't much different to walking past a butchers, or even being in the same country as one of these factories. The air is contaminated with pork? Get real!

It seems to me like a bunch of people who don't want the factory in their area (probably because of the smell?) who are prepared to do anything to oppose it. Using religion in this case is pretty sad imo.

XPE · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:43

"Because of the way in which this meat material will leave the factory and give that the area can be 'rained upon' we will be consuming pork via inhalation of this 'rain'.

Nice to know once again they are basing their arguments on good old scientific facts. :rolleyes:

Sirrel Squirrel · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:44

Can't say I'd be too happy living near a factory either, the smell would be awful

Jono · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:44

Well they could move further from the factory... to iran or something.

ants83 · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:45

these get so boring muslim this muslim that, i dont care why cant people stop posting this crap

gjrc · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:45

Sirrel Squirrel said:
Can't say I'd be too happy living near a factory either, the smell would be awful

yes, and that woudl be grounds for objection. not raining swine!

Jono · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:47

ants83 said:
these get so boring muslim this muslim that, i dont care why cant people stop posting this crap

Well maybe if their religion wasn't used as opposition for practically everything... then we wouldn't hear so much about it.

azzerz · 31 Jul 2007 at 11:49

Jono said:
Well they could move further from the factory... to iran or something.

ahah, brilliant