Muslims are not big fans of pigs. Pork is prohibited by the Qur’an and pigs themselves are seen as disgusting and dirty creatures. In a town like Djibo, there is good reason for this – Christian-owned pigs spend a lot of their time wallowing in the open sewers at the side of the road.
The Qur’an encourages Muslims to treat animals with compassion and not to abuse them. But occasionally the Fulani hatred of pigs boils over into violence. In the nearby town of Burow last month, hundreds of pigs were massacred by Fulani Muslims who were fed up of sharing their neighbourhood with such disgusting animals. This is a hard part of the world in which to be a pig.
