Pork in disguise
Assalaamu Alykum
In reply to Wiseguy74's question, their are numerous answers and reasons for not consuming pork, but for Muslims, the only reason we require is that Allah (SWA) commands us to do so. This doesn't mean we blindly follow but choose to do so in obedience to divine law. Yes, we may question Allah commands but not defy it, as questioning brings about specific knowledge. Knowledge that would never have materialised without ponderance.
Pigs are the worlds filthiest animal, some would argue if a pig had a better personality, it would cease to be a filthy and would be charming. But that is exactly the point, as part of their makeup, pigs are inherently filthy, its encoded in their DNA. They are destined to live in filth and have the necessary bacteria in their bodies that can counteract and consume the bacteria of decaying carcasses and effluent that they consume. Flush toilets are a modern day invention but for more than 5000 years in India pigs have been eating human excreter. That is its role in life, the cleanser of filth, the vacuum cleaner. Its is the only animal that can grow big and fat from eating filth, any other animal would have died before it reaches maturity, even with all the sicknesses described in all the other replies pigs survive.
Pigs also has a very shot digestive tract with the consequence that whatever it eats, is absorbed into its blood system within minutes as opossed to humans who have a long colon tract that can take up to 4 hours for digestion to take place. Meaning, if a pig ate its own excreter / worms / rotting flesh, it would be in its bloodstream within the hour and if someone came along and ate the pig they would also be eating its recycled food. Pigs do not eat fresh meat, for example a chicken that just died, it will leave it until the chicken starts to rot and stink then it would eat it.
Pigs do not have a jugular vein (throat) position as sheep, goats and cattle has, as observed at Qurbaan, the pigs jugular vein position is in the centre of its neck, thus if it is slaughtered in the conventional way, most of the nerves between the heart and the brain would be severed causing its heart to stop before it started pumping the blood out of its body the consequence is that the pigs blood congeales inside its flesh and whoever eats its flesh is also eating congealed blood. “Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah.” [Al-Qur’an 5:3]
There is a virus called the PRRS (Pig Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome) which causes pigs to suffer AIDS-like symptoms
http://www.prrs.org/ I assume this is a divine sickness built into the pigs DNA to stem the pig population on earth. Is it possible that pig-eating-humans contracted PRRS from eating pork which assimilated in the human body as HIV-AIDS which is now the greatest threat to mankind due to their disobedience to the law off Allah?
Alghamdullillah if this is the case, let it be said that the Muslims have the lowest rate of AIDS in the world, and the highest obedience to the laws of Allah and will not eat gharam. However, Muslims need to be very careful with the various food additives (E codes example: E120, E252, E430 - 436, E441, E470a, E474, E542, E63, E 635) derived from animal matter that are used as preservatives. (The E indicates that it is a "European Union approved" food additive.) The lower numbers in the example list is from insects and the higher numbers are definitely from animal mater most likely pigs.(Bones and marrow, skin, ears, etc...) The food industry has devised these codes for additives, Emulsifier, Flavour enhancer, Stabilizer, Anti-caking Agent, Gelling Agent, Antioxidant etc... They disguise the component with and E and Muslims buy numerous processed foods unknowingly also eating pork. Subagaan Allah!
We need to discuss this topic further but right now I have to go!
Shukran wa Ma 'asalaama