Getting Gastronomical with Chef Olivia Rogers
The history of pork fat as gun oil dates back to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, when British officers would force Hindu and Muslim soldiers to bite open gun cartridges that had been sealed with lard and tallow. The officers’ goal in doing this was to humiliate Muslim and Hindu Indians, forcing them to commit blasphemy.
In the late 2000s, following 9/11, a company called “Silver Bullet Gun Oil” sold gun oil with 13% pig fat. They marketed the product to US soldiers stationed in predominantly Muslim areas. The seller, who goes by “Midnite Rider” stated the goal of selling the gun oil was “denying Muslims of their paradise” and “Demoralizing FEAR and TERROR into SUPPOSEDLY ‘Fearless’ Islamo-Fascist terrorists.” The seller also claimed the gun oil was on the bullet used to kill Osama bin Laden and has been distributed to members of all U.S. military branches.
Ukrainian fighters in the volunteer Azov unit deployed this same appalling tactic in 2021 against Chechen muslims. The Azov unit was banned from using any American weapons until 2024 because of their origins with far right and Neo-Nazi ideology. A member of the group posted videos online, dipping bullets in pork fat and addressing Muslim combatants saying “Dear Muslim brothers. In our country, you will not go to heaven. You will not be allowed into heaven. Go home, please. Here, you will encounter trouble. Thank you for your attention, goodbye.”
Muslim belief forbids believers from consuming any sort of pork and Hindu belief forbids consumption of any cow product. Forcing these animal products on Muslims and Hindus is a form of religious discrimination and violates the Geneva Convention’s guidelines about violations against personal dignity and degrading treatment. These actions are clear forms of racism and bigotry. The American military and soldiers should hold themselves and its suppliers to a higher standard.