ECFR, 1 April 2009

In a stunning reversal of a classical Islamic position, the leader of the European Council for Fatwa and Reserach, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, has announced that as of today, eating pork is no problem after all.

According to usually reliable sources, al-Qaradawi states:
At the ECFR, we have examined the matter throughoutly, and decided that the traditional Islamic ban on eating pork is unfounded. The ban originally existed due to the risk of the disease Trichinella, which is rather serious. Since modern-day research has largely eliminated this problem, we shall as soon as possible issue a Fatwa declaring pork perfectly suitable for consumption also by Muslims.

Asked about how the Council could engage in a change of position of this magnitute, al-Qaradawi continues:

First, it is worth noting that the ECFR is also a council for research. We have examined relevant historical and scientific sources and determined that the ban on pork was historically well founded for medical reasons. But it no longer serves any reasonable purpose, and upholding it would be faulty and an expression of religioius fanaticism. Since we are not fanatics and do not want to be in the way of common sense, updating our position makes sense. We do not want Muslims to remain in a state of ignorance.

The notion did meet some resistance in our 33-member council. This is a quite large group to move from a reactionary to a modern position on any matter. But the fact that the ECFR has been perceived as unreasonably conservative, even fundamentalist, had become a cause for concern. This softened the position of the board members.

Further, the strictness of Sharia law, and the propagation of contradicting or downright silly Fatwas was becoming a headache for Islamic scholars and believers alike.

The most serious concern was that lifting the pork ban might have a negative impact on our authority in Islamic circles. This was a tough challenge, but the fact that our current positions have been object of ridicule and were short of scientific backing anyway, it was becoming unsustainable to stick to every written detail of Islamic scripture.

Second, the modern research on pork is actually quite good. Scientists have long confirmed that while pork may not be the very best of foods, it is not the cause of moral decay or any of the other gross claims that conservative religious scholars have perpetrated in order to scare Muslims from eating pork. Research has long shown that their position is fully unwarranted.
Third, the financial crisis is causing trouble for many low-income families. Having a low-cost alternative for the daily shopping makes life easier. Religion is good, but should not become an obstacle in daily life and to happiness in general, which overly strict interpretations tend to do.
Inquired if we can expect similar changes in classical Islamic positions in the near future, al-Qaradawi responds positively:

Yes, we are interested in proceeding to making Islam more sensible, and are in negotiations with the prime Islamic reform movement, the Muslim Brotherhood on how to proceed.
Once the initial fear and resistance was given up, it was actually a relief to reverse the ban on pork, and we have set down research groups to prepare similar updates on other subjects. Prime candidates include freedom of expression, child marriage, anti-Semitism, incitement to violence, and suicide bombings. You should expect the ECFR to issue more statements and actual fatwas through the year of 2009.

As a final note, it is suggested that Muslims enjoy their sausages, ham and bacon right away. It is, after all, only 1st of April today.



Source: http://europenews.dk/en/node/21854