If you’re wondering, today’s big comic is true. Well, minus throwing a pig out of nowhere.
In the past, I have had people ask me if I could eat pork. When I would tell them no because I’m a Muslim, they would then go down a list. They would ask me if I could eat ham, bacon, sausage and etc. All I could do was shake my head and sigh.
It did make me feel smart though.
This entry was posted on Monday, March 3rd, 2008 at 11:52 am and is filed under Rant. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Halal doesn’t cover pork right?
nope
Yeah, dude, common problem. I’m not muslim, but I get the same crap for being a vegetarian. “You don’t eat meat? do you eat Chicken? Hey, what about eggs? Cause eggs are like…baby chickens!”
no, actually, they’re not - not unless you eat fertilized eggs. yolks are the protein that feed the baby chickens as they grow, but if the eggs aren’t fertilized, there’s no baby chicken to grow. They’re still an animal product, like milk, but not an actual animal, not even in potentia.
which is why it’s a valid question. You just don’t know how hardcore someone is about it till you ask. I’ve known people who say they are but still eat fish and animal products.
one time i overheard a guy say he was a vegetarian “in moderation”. that’s like saying you’re a virgin in moderation. ya either eat meat (and that includes fish and fowl, for the confused out there … if you’re eating the flesh of an animal, it’s meat), or ya don’t. i should say, though, that i don’t consider dairy to be “meat”, nor do i consider unfertilized eggs to be “meat”.
I once saw a Jewish girl I knew snacking on a bag of Pork Rinds. When I told her they were made from pig, she was shocked - she thought they were just some special kind of potato or corn chip!
Fortunately, she didn’t throw up on the spot.
Theres vegetarian and vegan….vegans are way more hardcore…..they don’t drink dairy or eat eggs, nothing animal related, but a vegetarian can eat eggs. “as long as it has no face a vegetarian can eat it” is how my aunt puts it. Simplified, ya, but it makes it easier.
Well I’m bi-vegetarian ^____________^
“… You eat meat. That means you’re not vegetarian.”
“Yeah but I have friends who are vegetarians and we like the same movies!” (From the BBC show Coupling)
But really, it’s true. I’m an on-again-off-again vege-/pescetarian.
<3 your comic. We empathize.
And wow, yeah, I get all sorts of ridiculous questions for being a vegetarian. And then they say stuff like, “How about animal crackers? Are you a vegetarian because you hate plants? What about eggs? Do you drink milk?”… I guess people don’t know the difference between vegetarian and vegan. And then they’ll say that I don’t LOOK like a vegetarian. Grawrrr.
I R VEGeTARIAN TOO!! :D LOLOLOLOL!
man, i was about to post the same thing. i was born vegetarian, so i’ve been dealing with it a long time. times have changed and it’s not remotely the issue it used to be, but when i was a kid … at restaurants …
me: “do you have anything vegetarian?”
server: “we’ve got chicken.”
me: “… uh, no, i mean do you have anything without meat?”
server: “we’ve got … chicken. and fish. and turkey. you want turkey?”
me: “no, thanks. i’ll just have a salad.”
server: “okeedokee. you want ham on that? anchovies?”
picture me banging my head on the table.
Actually you were born omnivorous you were raised vegetarian.
Sorry bout that just a little OCD ’bout grammar stuff like that :D
BTW Hawk I think it would be better as “Pork ex Machina”
RANDOM THOUGHT!!!: hmmm “Pig from the machine” wouldn’t that be sausage
s’cool to be ocd about grammar stuff. yes, we’re all born omnivorous, but my parents couldn’t get me to eat meat and chose not to force the issue. i never liked it. my parents are not vegetarian.
Yeah I’m vego too. But I’m specifically an Ovo-Vegetarian. I don’t eat meat (fish DOES count) nor do I eat egg. But that’s just cos I think egg is gross.
I don’t like it when people say “vegetarian” and mean that they eat fish. or fowl. or all meat but pork.
umm meat i love it it tastes so good, and it’s like blood diamonds knowing that something had to suffer then be killed for your enjoyment makes it taste that much better, i only buy the suffering of lesser beings
Agreed. I would die with out my meat intake. Plus I eat it Rare. Like blood gushing out almost still breathing rare. Tasty. : DDDDD
Man. I did not know that Jell-O and marshmallows contained pig products. You learn something new every day.
Doesn’t mean I won’t stop eating Smores. :3
yeah man they have bone marrow in them. it’s what makes them jiggly ^_^
Hmmmmm…. gelatin. :)
Actually, collagen, which breaks down into natural gelatin, comes from connective tissue, cartilage, and skin- marrow is tasty, but not wobbly!
In a totally unrelated but still relevant addition:
Bacon Chocolate in a Pork ex Machina
http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/flying_chocolate_pig/flying_chocolate_pig
Okay… that’s just flargin’ wierd.
Wow, yeah I had no idea either, but having learned this and not being restricted from pork products I suddenly want Pork Chop flavored Jell-O. Hmm, or bacon marshmallows.
There are halal marshmallows! There are actually 2 brands, both made in the US. There’s also at least one brand of halal jello. Just because gelatin CAN use pork products doesn’t mean it has to.
Interesting, non-comic related comment…
Have you ever set off a ramune grenade? I’ve found that it’s my curse… never gotten to drink the entirety of a ramune bottle that I open myself. Usually I end up wearing half of it. That being said, I’ve literally grabbed a bottle off the shelf, went and paid for it, and opened it right there - and I still manage to set off a ramune explosion.
I was thinking it would make for a great follow up…
Yeah, I feel, ya! I’m black, American, and I used to eat pork like it was going out of style. Until one morning I woke-up and the room was spinning. Then the doctor told me if I wanted to live to see 21 I’d better lay off the pork and salt.
So I stopped, now 42, when I tell people I don’t dine on the swine, they look at me like I just grew another head and ask the same questions. Then at work when they order pizza for us and sound like it’s such a big ordeal ordering some pizza with chicken on it, it’s always the first box empty sometimes before I can even get up to get some.
lol, about the pizza. I went back home last year and everyone came over to grandma’s for a big party. I was pescetarian at the time so they got a vegetarian pizza just for me. Of course, it was the first one gone and I only got a slice!!
I get “Hawaiian” Pizza(with chicken instead of ham), special made, and out of 10 times eating there, I didn’t ever get it.
This last time, the lady making the order overheard the guys picking up from the buffet that they were going to grab it all before I got any.
When it was ready, she brought it to me, then snapped her fingers at the jerks. She also told me to request that it be brought to me in the future to avoid such occurrences. I love Cici’s.
I’m Catholic, and though not necessary, I abstain from anything but fish and vegetables on Fridays. My parents and grandparents raised me that way, and I just followed suit. People would ask if I was Vegan(again, stupid ignorance), and I’d say, no, I’m a carnivore on Saturday through Thursday, but Catholic, so I eat fish and vegetables on Fridays, and that Vegans abstain from all animals, both flesh and by-products.
Oh, and Hawk? Much respect for your patience with the ignorant masses.
I also come from a religious background that some might find restrictive. I used to tell people, all the time, “no I can’t eat (place food here)” or what have you. Then one day it occurred to me that I could actually eat those things if I felt like it, but I choose not to as a sign of faith in my religion.
I don’t know how you feel about it Hawk, but I tend to feel better when I use my diet as a sign of faith rather than a sign of restriction.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but what’s the point of not eating pork? Don’t get me wrong, on my father’s side of the family almost everyone is Muslim, but a lot of them do eat pork because they feel that not doing it because simply of religion is mostly silly; and I completely agree with them. Outside of health reasons, why not eat pork? Why not cast away the parts of the religion that are of no use anymore?
Well, I have lots of Muslim friends and neighbors, and I asked them the Big Why on Not eating Pork. They said that Pigs are considered “Unclean”, so read on this, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unclean_animals#Scientific_studies
If aspects of Religon can be considered outdated then it is probrably a matter of choice. I am a certain type of Buddhist that tries to avoid Beef as much as Hawk does with Pork.
In case anyone is wondering, Beef is not considered “Unclean” in a Buddhist context, I choose to follow this abstinence on Beef mainly for religous respect of the animal.
That sounds like Hinduism; what type of Buddhist are you? I’m (as far as I’ve decided yet) Zen Buddhist. I don’t eat pork because of the sodium - I can feel my veins crying out in agony- thing. I don’t think I’ll ever go to vegetarianism because so much of my life will involve animals anyway- even plastics! I do avoid things like veal or pate, though, simply because I don’t like the idea of something being force fed to feed me.
Chinese Buddhist, really. More on the Mahayana side of it. My Family’s a sort of casual Buddhists. Just no to Beef. Mainly for a touching story abt the Bodhisatva.
I know what you mean my religion stops me from eating pork too so people do the same to me. XD
As far as reasons go, I was under the impression that Jesus and like minded people had the same views as Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction; i.e Anything that doesn’t have enough since to disregard its’ own feces(and babies) is a filthy animal.”
Now I’m not Muslim, but my brother-in-law is, so my nephew converted. And my wonderful mother, who almost never cooks pork because cleaning it is nasty, always cook pork when they are around.
*This post may be the first chapter in a new novel.
I really loved this comic. My religion doesn’t have dietary restrictions per se, but we abstain from alcohol and other stuff as well as fasting (I always really like your Ramadan strips) and tithes. I always feel a little silly running down the list of things I can and can’t do to someone who doesn’t come from my background. I can eat the pig, though… go figure.
I abstain from fasting too. O:)
What is the point of any religious prohibition? It’s a choice people make to strengthen their faith.
I think the proscription against pork is for the reasons givin by Sam Jackson in “Pulp Fiction”, “A pig is a dirty animal.”
A little more research and it seems that any omnivore or carnivore (if you exclude things that eat fish) is halal.
That’s fine for Jules, but i’m with Vincent on this one. Bacon is good, sausage is good. I LOVE my BBQ. I just don’t eat it daily. Although i think we’re smoking some ribs later…
no religion here
but I don”t drink alcohol or just a little to be polite in a year. I don”t use drugs, I’m not eating horse, or fasting, and so on. (no need for extra stuff, so why eating too much ? )
-
there was a good reason to not eat pork, thousands and thousands years ago (tremendous difficulties to have healthy pork without dirt, bacteria and so on and the pork is gross for many people) but now ?
with everything understood about the pork’s life (the need to have a watered skin), the improvement in cleanliness and control, why to have that rule ?
–
it is an excellent comics.
people arguing without end about EVERYTHING containing pork just want you to surrender. I still prefer you happy than you eating my pork :)
You do realize that Islam isn’t the only religion with prohibitions on pork?
>I think the proscription against pork is for the reasons givin by Sam Jackson in “Pulp
>Fiction”, “A pig is a dirty animal.”
it’s the root here. it was not healthy to eat pork before people was able to clean..
Look at it this way; atleast people aren’t ridiculing your religion and the rules it asks you to follow. Whenthey ask these things, they’re making an effort to know more about you and what is an important part of your life.
Of course…that doesn’t mean they’re not dumb.
When I shared a house with a girl from Indonesia, I witnesed something very similar as she explained the exact same “pig issue” as you. It left me shaking my head in disbelief at peoples ability to open they’re mouth before shifting their brain into gear.
Sadly, I have learned never to underestimate the stupidity of my fellow human. Tact has become somewhat of a lost art, as people can no longer put a censor-sponsored delay between brain and mouth.
The reason Muslims don’t eat prok comes from the same set of restrictions used in Judaism, and they go something like this:
You may not cook the calf in its mother’s milk (keep dairy and meat separate)
Of fish, you may eat only that which has gills, scales and swims, so no shellfish, eel or crustaceans.
Of meat, you may eat only that which has cloven hoofs (hooves? Little hoofie-woofies.) and chews it’s cud, so cows and goats and sheep, but no pigs, rabbits, cats, kangaroos and so forth.
I can’t remember the bird restrictions.
Also, the animal must be killed humanely in a certain way (which usually sounds awful, but is actually more merciful than non halal or kosher methods) and drained of blood. There are a lot of rules; it’s not just “no pig”. Actually, I’m less educated about halal than kosher, but I’m assured that the Laws are similar.
Me, I’ll eat nearly anything, but I’m not fond of tripe.
Halal is incredibly similar to Kosher as far as food restrictions and processing. And it should be as the Koran found it’s roots in the Torah and portions of the New Testament (Jesus was simply a prophet as opposed to the Christ). Please bear in mind this limited knowledge of mine simply comes from a 1 day seminar put on shortly after 9/11. Great seminar though. A rabbi (reform), a pastor (Baptist) and an Imam spent 7 plus hours answering questions together. Fantastic stuff and very informative.
As for marshmallows and Jell-o, I was under the impression that the main source of gelatin was horse (unclean by Kosher and Halal standards none the less)
I meant pork, not prok.
over here in the UK, many stupid but well-meaning local authorities think that any mention of pigs is abhorrent to Muslims.
Dim.
yeah in the uk things are a tad smegged.
man i hate the govenment being so P.C the whole time (except boris johnson)
Actually, it has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with curiosity.
I’m red-green colorblind. I can *see* red and green - but not as well as other folks. A pale pink or pale green might look grey to my eyes. It makes telling certain colors a pain - purples often look like dark blues, I might mistake a brown for a red or green, tan is a bitch.
But when I mention this to people… the first thing they do is start asking a slew of stupid questions. Can you see this? Can you see *this*? Can you see THIS? How do you know which light is which at a stoplight. Can you see stop signs? And so on.
People are curious. And a little stupid.
so what’s going on with Gina there?
Yeah! Whazzup with that? Did we miss the first 5 minutes of this moobie?
It seems like Gina is hitting on a girl. But why it’s Gina “Turn”…I’d like to know too. Maybe they’re at a convention and Hawk needs a break from teh scribblin’?
Wait… Theres pork in marshmellows!?!? O_O What the!?!? I thought they were made out of cream!
I get the same thing with being a vegetarian, I tell people I don’t eat any dead animals, then they always ask about fish, chicken, and a bunch of other animals. I think I’m going to start challenging people’s intelligence by saying that I eat nothing that comes from the Animal-Kingdom.
Then they always say, “I couldn’t live without steak.” It’s always steak, I think that’s the manliest meat that everyone thinks of.
I couldn’t live without sushi, but i’m wierd like that. Steaks great every once in awhile, but it’s not my first meat choice.
My ‘couldn’t live without” would probably be chicken. while I do like my steaks, You can do so much more with chicken!
Also it’s better for your heart
See, I’m with you on this one. My grandfather has to have his weekly steak and potatos, but me? I’ll choose chicken over fish, fish over beef, and beef over pork any day. Though the Irish in me still demands spuds.
Originally, they contained an extract from the marsh mallow plant which thickened them. Modern marshmallows are made with gelatin which is usually rendered from animal hides or bones >>yuck<<
Look for vegan-friendly marshmallows which use agar or carageenan as the thickening agent.
Marshmallow Fluff doesn’t have much gelatin in it, but it does use egg whites.
umm dude turkey bacon all im sayin im mean its not the original but it sure is tasty
never heard of it. i’ll have to try that.
I prefer turkey bacon, even without a ban on pork. It isn’t 50% fat (or more), and it’s crispy instead of tough.
Yes, I’ve had a lot of bad bacon.
Turkey sausage is also quite good!
So does that mean Turkey bacon is ok for non-pork-eaters to eat?
Whoa! I didn’t know that marshmallows and jello are made of pig! Makes me wonder what sort of weird ingredients are in other processed foods. O_o
You probably don’t want to know what’s in a hot dog.
Here’s a hint: what you find under your fridge plays a measurable role.
I actually have a disease called Celiacs where i can’t eat Wheat Flour…so if you start going down the list that makes things interesting. its funny tho cause people always ask “so can you eat potato chips? or corn chips?”
i feel your pain hawk lol
I also have Celiac disease, (it’s not just wheat flour but all products containing gluten…) and people are mostly ignorant and RUDE about it. To top it off, I’m allergic to more common foods like corn and soy, so when people offer me food and I tell them I can’t have it because of allergies they look at me like I have five eyes…. oh how I wish I did some days. Don’t even get me started on why I can’t dine out….
As someone who was once allergic to both milk and sugar, I would get the most bizarre looks and questions. Everyone’s favorite to ask seemed to be “So that means you can’t eat chocolate?” “No, I can’t.” “Wow… that must be torture or something.” Of course, hearing stuff like that was more torturous as a kid than not being able to eat chocolate. Just a constant reminder of what I couldn’t have.
Ya I have a jewish friend who cant eat pig, Is it because jewish think pigs are holy?
Well, I used to be Jewish (I’m currently an athiest, but that may change. Who knows?) and was also consider Pigs to be un-holy and un-clean. Hense, we do not eat pigs or any pig bi-product.
And yes, I now enjoy the taste of no longer being Kosher.
Sweet, sweet bacon.
The funny thing is, one forgets these things over time. I was raised catholic, and not to long ago i got dirty looks from relatives as i ordered a nice fat steak in a restaraunt on good friday (not supposed to eat red meat then or something) I looked at them, and was like “what?”
Yeah, I’ve never been big on dogma, but i should probably be mindful of it around them…
I was also Sooo close to doing that, but not in a restaraunt, man, fridays suck without red meat!
Shouldn’t it be ‘Pig ex machina’?
no, jews do not view pigs as holy animals, rather that they are “unclean” see posts above. basicly, rabbis decided that we shouldnt be second in the food chain after what a pig eats, which is just about anything.
ok, now why can’t muslim eat pig, Do they think it’s holy?
I also wonder this as well. I think the Jewish avoid pig as it’s considered unclean, i wonder if it’s the same here?
also, no pig an no green.. Then so now i’ve determined green jell-o is the anti-hawk food! :3
i found the answer in a reply above. something about pigs not having cloven hooves. But it would be nice if a muslim would verify this, I hate spreading misinformation.
Also, on another note, i read the “whammo!” as “HAMMO” first time round
meh, your not missin much hawk….^_^ i perfer my cows over my piggy wiggys….o.o….they makes better burgers…XD
Being a Christian I’m basically free to eat whatever…
Yet being asked those kinda questions? I’d wanna slap them or something.
I prefer my cows, pigs, chickens and fish. I gag whenever I hear someone eating a dog, cat, horse or any other domesticated animal. I find it disgusting… I like to pet my cats and dogs, not cut ‘em up with a knife!
I have a reform Jewish friend who’s in the same predicament. It was Yom Kippur and we were going to the local Asian market with a Chinese girl from our Japanese class prior to a study session and she went through the whole place going, “Can you eat this? How about this?” In the end we settled on shrimp dumplings for him, pork for the rest of us.
When it came time to serve them, she brought out the plate and said that they were the shrimp ones. We all pick one up and start eating and no sooner does she run out saying she put the wrong ones out.
Ah, irony…
That guy was not very polite, people should know better than to argue about that.
Anyway, I can see what is disturbing with a belief that is alien to yours. And there are religious beliefs that are much more incredible than not eating an animal (like “when someone slaps you on the cheek, give them the other cheek”, which is yet something I have to see with my own eyes).
I’m a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian, and while my core beliefs may differ quite a bit from Hawk’s, I believe the rules on what to eat or not eat are pretty much the same for Muslims, Jews and Adventists. And even prior to becoming an Adventist, I really was never that big on eating pork or shellfish, which are two of the most well-known no-nos. But thinking about what the “unclean” animals eat, I really have zero desire to eat any of them now.
Even today, with all the advances in cleanliness, pigs still carry trichina worm, which can cause all sorts of health problems if you eat improperly cooked pork products.
And yeah, I get weird looks when I tell people I don’t eat pork. I also get weird looks when I tell people I go to church on Saturday.
Seventh Day Adventist here too! ^^ The weird looks have become something of a fun treat for me.
You don’t wont to eat pork that’s fine with me.
That’s just more pork for me!
Its funny I have some pork in the fridge.
I never understood why some people care what others eat or don’t eat.
One thing about this comic I sheer do learn a lot. Hay fun and learning all in one what more can you ask for.
Sure Lisa, some magical animal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichinosis
Basically people back in the day got sick after eating pork, so it was decided that it was an unclean animal and added to the list of prohibited edibles. It was a good idea at the time and a beneficial means of social control. Now days people know how to properly clean and cook pork and animal husbandry has improved so the animals don’t eat their own crap anymore.
After all, many omnivorous animals who are starving or severely malnourished will eat their own feces or the feces of other animals in order to benefit from any possible nutrients left in the waste. Not a pretty picture, but sadly true. If you’ve ever seen any of the animal rescue shows you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Most of the time I’m amused by people with their dietary restrictions, whether they are due to lifestyle, or religion. Being able to choose what we do and do not eat is an amazing privilege, but one reserved for those who are enabled and have never truly experienced the phenomenon of Hunger.
You’ll never see a homeless person with a sign that says, “Will work for food (but only if it’s halal/kosher/vegetarian/low carb).”
Jesus loves you.
~ Yes I know! .. Foor the biiiible teells me soOOo ~
Baddahbing.
well MY only question would’ve been “Did you ever accidentally eat it without knowing” … i think this could be a funny story for us :D
changing topics slightly to the AG lite comic,
I remembered my first experience with Ramune. I accidentally sprayed half the bottle in my now ex-girlfriend’s face trying to open it. I can now see why it never worked out with her. I should of seen it as a sign…
I have a Jewish friend who goes through this too. I admit that I asked all about Kosher rules when I first met her (not some of the stupid questions she has to deal with though), but by now I know all the stuff to do and can have her over and feed her Kosher meals. She always gets a big kick out of telling people she’s never had a cheeseburger before. ;) Oh, and there are Kosher marshmallows, we found them in a specialty food store! They don’t have gelatin in them and are completely Kosher and pig-free, I surprised my friend with Kosher s’mores one night, you should have seen her smile! :)
Which does beg the question, why do people care? I mean, it’s kind of novel, the whole dietary restriction thing, and it is a credit to you that you take your faith so seriously. But when I’ve seen exchanges like that, the people asking about it always seem to talk like pork is the greatest culinary delight under the sun and that you’re missing out on the dietary equivilent of fresh air and the great outdoors.
I don’t know if you’ve ever even tried pork (or care to), but if you haven’t, you’re not missing much. Bacon’s the best there is, and even it’s not all that much to write home about.
So…
what about superior genetically enhanced pigs meant not to look and eat like pigs? Can you eat those?
Salaam Alaikum Hawk,
I can totally empathize with that ordeal of people running through a friggin’ list of stuff. Have you gotten Halal Marshmallows and Marshmallow treats? I used to see the brother who established that company in Chicago before I moved overseas. They are tasty and the gelatin comes from fish scales and bones.
For everyone wondering about Pork:
God has forbidden the eating of pork since the beginning of time. The law was handed down and no prophet ever removed the prohibition. It was Paul who removed the prohibition, a man who was neither a prophet nor a deciple and who had no authority to do so.
Medically speaking there are dozens upon dozens of illnesses and conditions which are directly linked to the consumption of pork.
I’ll illustrate one reason in detail here though.
All animals (including humans) have uric acid in the blood, it is the toxin produced by the body and is filtered out by the kidneys which then allows it to travel to the bladder for excretion. Pigs have more uric acid than any other animal because of the diet and the way the body works.
Now, when you kill any animal cleanly, you slash it across the jugular and windpipe so that the blood comes out of the body quickly and does not leave this uric acid behind. A pig’s jugular and windpipe, however, is buried deep in the neck and so the blood cannot drain quickly. Therefore the blood soaks the meat and the meat becomes a filter for the blood which leaves behind uric acid.
This consumption of uric acid while eating pork is the cause of a large number of the sicknesses. It is the equivalent of drinking a glass of your own urine every day. This is why eating pork is only permitted in the case of absolute emergency, just like drinking urine.
Here in the Philippines it is ten times harder to find non-pork products outside of seafood dishes. There’s even pig fat in vegetarian dishes here!!!
Gelatin, on the other hand, is easy since most of it here comes from a type of seaweed.
Hope this information helps everyone.
Ma’salaam
– Hushdawg
Every meat or plant has some sorts of things which aren’t really good for you
That’s why “god created” an immun system :D
So SOMEguy way down in the past thought “hm pigs are dirty, thou shall not eat pork” and you still follow that rule without questioning it?
Don’t take it the wrong way man i have nothing against Muslims I just think any religion followed word by word is crazy ^^
Some rules where there for a reason but now over 2000 years later those reasons don’t apply anymore