Sacred meat with name of Allah from Nigerian restaurant
Gullibility may be the most common human trait. The West has its UFOs and citings of Elvis, following medieval Christian crusades to find the true cross and holy grail. Indeed, even the prepuce of the Messiah (venerated in the church on January 1) shares space in almost two dozen cathedrals. It is reported (the kind that Fox News might report) that on Christmas day in 800 AD the about-to-be-crowned Charlemagne gave a part of the foreskin of Christ to Pope Leo III. Charlemagne said he received it from an angel, but others say it was a wedding gift from the Byzantine Empress Irene. One wonders who spirited the bit of divine flesh out of the stable in Bethlehem and saved it for a future queen.
All three monotheisms posit signs from Yahweh, the Triune God or Allah. The Virgin Mary or even the head of Jesus may appear on a piece of toast, as though God blesses the bread we eat only if it can take the heat. Islam, unfortunately, is not immune from calligraphic appearances in the most mundane places. Less than a year ago, the Arabic name Allah, appeared on several pieces of meat in a Nigerian restaurant. Alhamdillah, it was beef. But as a sign of hard times, it was not a prime rib or filet mignon (which would have been far too much Western cuisine, I think), but gristle. “When the writings were discovered there were some Islamic scholars who come and eat here and they all commented that it was a sign to show that Islam is the only true religion for mankind,” claimed the restaurant owner. The more appropriate response might be: fat chance.
Claims for the Arabic lettering of the holiest word in Islam on everyday items abound. You can see it for yourself on Youtube in a human eye, human ear, hand, or a fish, a tree, and. And if you want to see a collage of sightings, youtube will oblige.
The BBC reports a vegetable case from 1999, although the evidence in this case had been eaten.
Hundreds of Muslims are flocking to a small terraced house in West Yorkshire to see a tomato which they believe carries a divine message from Allah.
Housewife Shabana Hussain, 27, found the Islamic scripture while she was preparing a meal for her family.
She chopped a tomato in half, and bismillah, or Allah, was written in Arabic in the veins. The other half of the vegetable said la illaha illala, or There is no God but Allah
Oh well, at least it wasn’t pork.
Luke R. E. Publican