There Is No Fish But Allah
Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2006 6:45 pmA fish called Allah<br><br>Paul Lewis<br>Thursday February 2, 2006<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1700465,00.html">www.guardian.co.uk/uk_new...65,00.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2006/02/02/oscar372.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>Oscar the fish, whose markings are being compared <br>to the Arabic script for Allah and Muhammad. <br>Photograph: Martin Ricket/PA</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br><br>As supposed miracles go, Oscar the fish is the best that the town of Waterfoot, near Bury, has ever seen.<br><br>Locals flocked to the village's pet shop, Water Aquatic, this week after it was noticed that the markings on the scales of the two-year-old albino Oscar fish mimicked the Arabic script for Allah.<br><br>That the other side of the fish appeared to be inscribed with the word Muhammad only served to compound the spectacle. Within hours, Oscar - originally from Singapore - found hordes of locals, paparazzi and national television news reporters peering into his tank.<br><br>Mohammed Riaz-Shahid, 38, the manager of the Oasis Fast Food restaurant across the road was quickly appointed interpreter and led the chorus of claims that this was a message from above.<br><br>"There's no doubt about it," he said. "The markings are clear to see. Allah on one side, Muhammad on the other."<br><br>"Christians, Jews - they all believe in God," he explained. "So God's showing a sign to everyone, a sign that he's here."<br><br>Peter Hurst, 17, concurred. "It's a sign of something - no doubt - probably God," he said. "It's amazing, especially for this time of year."<br><br>Perhaps the most flabbergasted visitor of all was a man from "a town nearby" who asked to remain anonymous. Last night, he claimed, he had dreamed about a whale with the words Muhammad and Allah inscribed on its head.<br><br>"It's real, it's real," he said in awe, biting his fingers. "As soon as I heard I came running. I didn't think twice about the dream until I saw the fish on the television." Eyeing the patterns a little suspiciously, he added: "I hope that wasn't painted on."<br><br>On closer inspection, however, he agreed the markings were naturally occurring, and the fish was indeed sent as evidence of God's existence.<br><br>But the manager of the shop, Tony Walker, 27, had an altogether different explanation for the "miracle" fish's appearance on his premises.<br><br>"I would hope it came to me because I'm an honest man," he said. "Someone up there sent the fish because of the way I choose to run my business."<br><br>The owner, Naz Raja, 29, from Nelson near Blackburn, who purchased the fish two weeks ago for £10, told Guardian Unlimited he was less sure about the divine origin of his new pet.<br><br>"I bought it because it was beautiful. It might be a sign, I suppose," he said. But a miracle?<br><br>"Kind of, yeah."<br><br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=nomo@rigorousintuition>nomo</A> at: 2/2/06 3:56 pm<br></i>