CNN is up with a "human interest"
story about a couple of deli owners from Jersey sending tons of salami (salted sausage made of beef and pork) to the the troops in Iraq.
What's the big deal? Here is the story of 1857 Sepoy rebellion, from Wikipedia:
The Pattern 1853 Enfield (P/53) rifle was introduced into India. Its cartridge was covered by a greased membrane which was supposed to be cut by the teeth before the cartridges were loaded into the rifles. There was a rumour that the membrane was greased by cow or pig fat. This was offensive to Hindu and Muslim soldiers alike, who considered tasting beef or pork to be against their respective religious tenets. The British claimed that they had replaced the cartridges with new ones not made from cow and pig fat and tried to get sepoys to make their own grease from beeswax and vegetable oils but the rumour persisted. The Commander in Chief in India, General the Honourable George Anson reacted to this crisis by saying, "I'll never give in to their beastly prejudices", and despite the pleas of his junior officers he did not compromise.
History doesn't repeat itself,
but it does rhyme. Here's another tidbit:
Due to missionary activity some Indians came to believe that the British intended to forcibly convert them to Christianity, a view which was perhaps not unfounded, as the British religious fashion of the time was Evangelism, and many East India Company officers took it upon themselves to try and convert their Sepoys. This was strongly discouraged by the Company, aware of it's potential as a flash-point, but official disapproval has rarely stopped Evangelists.