In an exclusive report yesterday, Al-Masry Al-Youm unveiled how pigs were killed and buried alive. This report, its video and its pictures have sparked heated reactions, as clerics have said the Islamic Shariah does not allow what was happening, while Agriculture Minister Amin Abaza has shrugged off any responsibility.
International human rights organizations announced they would stage demonstrations during President Mubarak's visit to the US.
Dr. Mahmoud Mihni, President of Al-Azhar University in Assiut, said culling pigs by using chemical products ran contrary to the teachings of Islam, while Dr. Munie Abdel Halim, dean of the Faculty of Religious Fundamentals, said this discredited Islam abroad.
Father Mattias, priest at the Virgin Church in Izbat El-Nakhl, said: "The decision to cull pigs was sectarian", while Animal Care Societies in Egypt slammed the Governorate of Qalyubia.
These societies said they intended to file a complaint against the Egyptian government to the World Organization for Animal Health in Paris. This could result in serious sanctions, especially a halt to the export of live animals to Egypt.
Agriculture Minister Amin Abaza said that he had no information on those facts, and that he would contact the governors to stop those illegal practices.
"Egypt is a civilized state, and we won't allow a few offenders to discredit it" he said.
