(NZ) Pizza 'sin' for Muslim family

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NEWS TUESDAY, 17 JULY 2001

Pizza 'sin' for Muslim family 17 JULY 2001

The Pizza Haven company is investigating a complaint by a Muslim family who

want to be flown to Mecca after they said they found bacon in a vegetarian

pizza. Hastings dairy owner Mohammed Sameem said that he and his family were

horrified to discover bits of bacon in a vegetarian pizza they had ordered

from Pizza Haven, after they had already eaten half of it.

" My mother found something in her mouth and we had to vomit, " he said.

" We are supposed to stay 40 yards away from pig or bacon. "

Mr Sameem said he, his wife, mother, stepfather and stepsister would have to

travel to Mecca, the Muslim holy place in Saudi Arabia, to seek forgiveness

for their unwitting sin.

" We've broken one of the big ones. We are not purified now, " he said.

Mr Sameem wants Pizza Haven to pay for his family's trip. Air fares from

Hastings to Saudi Arabia via Auckland are about $3000 a person.

Pizza Haven's national operations manager, Colin Mellar, said from Auckland

yesterday that he was looking into Mr Sameem's claim, but it was too early

for him to draw any conclusions.

Pizza Haven had vegetarian pizzas on its menu and took pains to ensure that

these pizzas were genuinely vegetarian, he said.

Because of the threat of legal action, Mr Mellar said he did not wish to

make any more comment.

A visit to Mr Sameem's dairy yesterday found no pork products on sale. --

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