“It is forbidden in Islam for a believer to eat pork or its derivatives. To do so is a grievous sin.” But pulling a knife on the one who served it — is that A-OK?
Note also the supremacist demand that only halal foods be henceforth served.
By Maricel V. Cruz for the Manila Times, with thanks to SLM:
A Muslim lawmaker on Monday night raged at a catering crewmember of a Chinese restaurant for serving her food with pork.
Rep. Faysah Dumarpa of Lanao del Sur reportedly slapped the crewmember, Virginia Fernando Altamirano, and held a bread knife at her.
Altamirano, 36, has filed a complaint against Dumarpa with the Quezon City police.
“It is forbidden in Islam for a believer to eat pork or its derivatives. To do so is a grievous sin. An intentional consumption of such meat would hinder me from gaining entrance to paradise. Beyond dietary concerns, this is a matter of faith,” Dumarpa said in a letter to Ramon Sy, head of the Shangri-La Finest Chinese Cuisine, which caters for congressmen during sessions at the South Lounge in the House of Representatives.
Dumarpa said she “felt betrayed” and “grossly insulted” by being served food containing pork. “I assumed your [catering] crew purposely caused that by intentional concealment of the fact herein set forth. If it was not at all intentional, then there must have been gross negligence on their part.”
Dumarpa even demanded that Sy fire the crewmen, and that only halal foods be made available in the South Lounge.
Another Muslim legislator, Anak Mindanao party-list Rep. Mujiv Hataman, said the House leadership should take responsibility for the gaffe.
“This indicates lack of religious and cultural sensitivity even within the House of Representatives itself,” Hataman said in a text message.
To prevent a repetition of the incident, Hataman suggested that the House consider putting up a separate lounge for Muslim legislators and visitors of Congress.
Uh oh. An apartheid lounge.