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Govt fatwa bans kissing to stop swine flu
Jordanian authorities issued a religious edict on Thursday urging Muslims to avoid kissing each other, as the number of reported cases of swine flu in the kingdom reached 274. "People should not kiss at social events and gatherings. Instead, they should just shake hands," the government's fatwa department said in a statement. "If kissing spreads diseases, then it is forbidden.""And no tongues! Never!" The edict comes a few days ahead of the Eid al-Fitr festivities marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, when Muslims traditionally pay each other visits and hug and kiss. In the conservative Arab world, rejecting a kiss on the cheek can be seen as offensive. But the fatwa department insisted that Eid "should mark the beginning of the end" of cheek kissing. Replace with handshaking "We advise people to replace kissing with handshaking, particularly during Eid -- which is the case in many civilized Muslim countries," it said. Posted by: Fred 2009-09-18 |
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