A Pakistani Muslim held at an immigration facility in Japan went on a hunger strike after mistakenly being served bits of bacon on a salad.
He spit the salad out and went on a hunger strike.
Asahi reported:
A Pakistani Muslim held at an immigration facility here has been on hunger strike for two weeks since he was mistakenly served a macaroni salad containing bits of bacon.
Immigration officials apologized to him, but the 49-year-old man went on the hunger strike Aug. 13 to protest what he claims to be a serious human rights violation. As of Aug. 27, he had only consumed water and dietary supplements.
The man was given the macaroni salad in a “bento” box lunch on Aug. 12, according to sources at the immigration office and a group supporting the Pakistani. He put the salad into his mouth and then spat it out.
The Pakistani is awaiting deportation at the Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau’s Yokohama District Immigration Office in Kanazawa Ward.
The immigration office had been providing the man with meals that did not contain pork because Muslims are forbidden to eat the meat.
However, it was found that employees at the contractor that prepared the boxed lunch and immigration officials both failed to realize that the salad contained bacon.