A few years back I was out shopping at Plaza Singapura with four female friends, two of whom were Muslims. At the basement, my friends stepped into a store selling female footwear, while I remained outside to finish up a half-eaten ice cream cone.
While the girls were browsing and trying on different footwear, I suddenly heard loud gasps and immediately turned to see my Muslim school mates put down the shoes in their hands abruptly. Within seconds, they were racing out of the store frantically and then disappeared along a corridor leading to what must have been the restrooms.
Bewildered and shocked by their action, I quickly approached the other girls still in the store. It happened that my Muslim school mates had unknowingly touched footware made of pigskin, and upon realisation, had ran off immediately to clean their hands.
One of the girls, a Chinese, then commented: "They are crazy. Such a huge reaction, zoomed out so fast. Really so dirty? There's no harm what."
It was a misktake she made the statement, because the Muslim girls had returned from the restroom and they overheard her comment. The next few moments were awkward for us. After a few retorts, my Muslim school mates left us on a rather unpleasant note. Upon their departure, however, the girl who made the comment continued to grumble that there was no need for them to react so strongly to what she said.
Personally, though slightly taken aback by their somewhat 'strong' reaction, I could understand the girls' behaviour. According to Muslim beliefs, pigs are considered 'unclean' and hence Muslims should not be in contact with these animals in any way. This is also the reason that Muslims do not consume pork.
As for my friend who had unintentionally offended with her words, she should learn to practise sensitivity when expressing herself in such situations. This is essential especially in multi-cultural Singapore, where it is a well-known fact that Muslims should not be in contact with swine.
Since I've hit on this topic, I would just like to elaborate further.
As a non-Muslim, I am priviledged enough to have made Muslim friends and gained invaluable insights and understanding towards their cultural norms. However, I realised that many still do not have full understanding towards their eating habits. Some believe it is acceptable so long as the food stall states 'No pork, no lard'. In actual fact, Muslims can consume only food that has been certified 'Halal'. From what I had gathered, Halal food are prepared by Muslims with the involvement of prayers.
Therefore, the next time we have Muslim accquaintances amongst us, I hope we would be sensitive and keep in mind to suggest Halal eating places.
While the girls were browsing and trying on different footwear, I suddenly heard loud gasps and immediately turned to see my Muslim school mates put down the shoes in their hands abruptly. Within seconds, they were racing out of the store frantically and then disappeared along a corridor leading to what must have been the restrooms.
Bewildered and shocked by their action, I quickly approached the other girls still in the store. It happened that my Muslim school mates had unknowingly touched footware made of pigskin, and upon realisation, had ran off immediately to clean their hands.
One of the girls, a Chinese, then commented: "They are crazy. Such a huge reaction, zoomed out so fast. Really so dirty? There's no harm what."
It was a misktake she made the statement, because the Muslim girls had returned from the restroom and they overheard her comment. The next few moments were awkward for us. After a few retorts, my Muslim school mates left us on a rather unpleasant note. Upon their departure, however, the girl who made the comment continued to grumble that there was no need for them to react so strongly to what she said.
Personally, though slightly taken aback by their somewhat 'strong' reaction, I could understand the girls' behaviour. According to Muslim beliefs, pigs are considered 'unclean' and hence Muslims should not be in contact with these animals in any way. This is also the reason that Muslims do not consume pork.
As for my friend who had unintentionally offended with her words, she should learn to practise sensitivity when expressing herself in such situations. This is essential especially in multi-cultural Singapore, where it is a well-known fact that Muslims should not be in contact with swine.
Since I've hit on this topic, I would just like to elaborate further.
As a non-Muslim, I am priviledged enough to have made Muslim friends and gained invaluable insights and understanding towards their cultural norms. However, I realised that many still do not have full understanding towards their eating habits. Some believe it is acceptable so long as the food stall states 'No pork, no lard'. In actual fact, Muslims can consume only food that has been certified 'Halal'. From what I had gathered, Halal food are prepared by Muslims with the involvement of prayers.
Therefore, the next time we have Muslim accquaintances amongst us, I hope we would be sensitive and keep in mind to suggest Halal eating places.
