|
Kenya's 'Koranic fish' disappears
A fish with markings that resembled a Koranic text has disappeared from the Kenyan Fisheries Department in Mombasa.The tuna fish, which had provoked intense interest from Muslims, was apparently stolen by people posing as National Museum officials. The theft was discovered when the real official from the museum, based at Fort Jesus in Mombasa, came to get the fish. The fish was being studied to find out if the Arabic inscription "You are the best provider" was natural or a hoax. Sceptics say the writing was the work of someone who caught the fish and then threw it back into the sea. But others say this would be impossible, and local imams are said to have been talking in the mosques about the fish. Over the weekend, people thronged to the Takaungu Fish Shop in Mombasa's old town after the owner noticed the tuna fish's remarkable markings. It had been caught by fisherman Said Ali at the end of last week at Vanga, a small fishing port on the Kenyan coast, 50km south of Mombasa. For safekeeping, the 2.5 kg (five pound) fish was moved to the fisheries department. After being asked by Muslim leaders in Kenya, Kenya's National Museum had offered to take custody of the fish and preserve it for the country's heritage. The reported theft follows numerous attempts by locals and Muslim scholars to buy the mysterious fish. An official at the fisheries department in Mombasa said someone had even offered to pay as much as $150. Under normal circumstances the fish would fetch not more than $6. Officials from the museum and the country's fisheries department have launched a low-profile search for the stolen fish, fearing possible anger from Muslims if they hear it has been stolen. Posted by: john 2006-05-18 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=152386 |