Sunday, May 22, 2005

Karmic Fizz

 
Expat has an intriguing post on Pepsi. No, not the jejune anti-American remarks of Pepsico’s president. This is far more interesting than her snide smear, and who knows, it may be karmic retribution for those very remarks.

Expat translates this bit of “scientific” information emanating from an entity called The Islamic Agency for Research in Egypt. It has an important recommendation which Expat was kind enough to translate for us:
    Al-Irsyad – the Islamic Agency for Research in Egypt has now recommended that Muslims are not to consume Pepsi Cola because it is being suspected of containing material that has been made from the intestines of pigs.
Dr. Mustofa Asyak’ah an agency member has asked for the other members of the agency to gather to discuss this problem, so that the Muslim community can receive clarity as to whether the product is haram (forbidden) or not, according to the daily Egyptian Al-Arabiyah.
Dr. Mustofa explained that the manufacturer of the drink has included a special material made from the intestines of pigs in the process of the drink’s production.
“Because of this we are trying to break down of the materials used so that we might get some clarification on the issue” he said.
Yes, that’s it. The latest emergency. Pork in the Pepsi. Now before everyone falls down laughing, consider this: Pepsico makes fried pork rinds. How haram is that, I ask you? At the very least, it’s a Pepsi-pork connection. For those is in a boycotting mood, Max Black at Prariefire lists all the products in Pepsi’s cabinet. In addition he gives some names and numbers to call if you have any response to Pepsico’s Indra Nooyi’s remarks at Columbia’s MBA graduation ceremony

But wait, there are murkier depths to this than you imagined. For a long time, there was a turf war in the Middle East between Pepsi and Coke. Or rather, the Arabs wouldn’t drink whatever it was the Israelis were drinking. There were boycotts -- some leftists still have one going against Coke -- based on the Israel-Arab conflict and Coke’s supposed support of Israel. Snopes has a story on it, though you might question the particulars. However, its last paragraph is instructive:
    Today you can get either Coke or Pepsi in anywhere in the Middle East, and the days of the boycott have faded into memory. Even so, there are still those who observe the stricture of “Coke is for Jews; Pepsi is for Arabs.” Old wounds are not necessarily healed wounds.
Evidently it’s true. A few weeks ago Chrenkoff quoted from a news report that a young jihadist named Mohammed complained he’d been living on “bread and Pepsi.”

So what now? Israel supports Coke, and Pepsi has pork parts. Talk about a rock and a hard place.

Royal Crown Cola anyone? Goes good with Pepsico’s Baken-ets fried pork skins

6 comments:

StoutFellow said...

So the Islamists are raising the well-worn spectre of pork yet again. Hardly surprising, but I get double satisfaction from it. First because, as you pointed out, the Jihadists will have to find another, hopefully non-American, bubbly water to fuel their efforts. Heaven forbid that they may have to resort to some pre-modern wake-up juice like Turkish coffee. Secondly, I will derive great satisfaction as I boycott Pepsi products. After reading the remarks of Pepsi President/CFO Indra Nooyi at Columbia University. I will give her the finger, as I reject her dredging up the old Ugly American sterotype and boycott Pepsi products.

As for your RC Cola comments. Those will lost on all but those of us from the Deep (American) South. In fact, I didn't believe that all you sophisticates up in Virginia had ever heard of the stuff!

Baron Bodissey said...

Stoutfellow -- we have RC Cola here in Virginia, and I drank it when I lived in Maryland as a kid. I don't know how much further north as it extends.

Dymphna said...

Stoutfellow--

Pork as a "spectre"...what a great idea! Perhaps the French could rub themselves in bacon grease as a deterrent.

Since most of the other soft drinks are under the aegis of Coke or Pepsi, the choices are limited.

Besides, it's the breakfast of champions:
Yeah our idea of high class livin'
Is sittin' on the porch on a cool night
Our Champagne and Caviar
Is an RC cola and a moon pie
.

AbbaGav said...

I thought they drank Mecca Cola now. I haven't heard how sales of the new drink are going. Wouldn't surprise me, if sales are suffering, to find there was a little backscratching going on between the testing agency and the makers of Mecca.

Dymphna said...

Gavriel--

Thanks for the great link. Did you notice the by-line? The article is written by someone named Verity Murphy. Given my Irish genes, I find Verity + Murphy to be an oxymoron.

OBloodyHell said...

I'm reminded of a joke:

Guy walks into a store, walks up to the counter, and says (add suitable southern accent, if you like) "I'd like an RC and moon pie, please."

The clerk looks at him and says, "You're from Alabama, aren't you?"

The guy shakes his head, and says, "I resent that imputation! I resent the imputatee! Tell me, sir, if I came in here and asked you for some Borscht, would you *presume* I'm from Russia?"

"Ummm, no sir."

"... and if I came in here and asked for some spaghetti and meatballs, would you *presume* I was from Italy?"

"Ahhh, no sir."

"... and if I came in here and asked for some stir-fry, would you *presume* I'm from China?"

"No, sir, I definitely would not."

"Then WHY, when I come in here and ask you for 'an RC and a moonpie', do you *presume* I'm from Alabama?"

"Well, sir, this is a hardware store."

(8-9