Pepperoni was featured at a state capitol reception for newly elected state Rep. Saud Anwar, the first Muslim elected to serve in Connecticut, according to local reports.
For observant Muslims, the consumption of pork is forbidden.
The new state senator won the special election for the open Hartford-area seat earlier last week. The seat opened when former state Sen. Timothy Larson, D-Ct., was chosen by the state governor for a position within the Connecticut executive branch.
Anwar, a medical doctor who was serving as mayor of South Windsor, was inaugurated Friday, and other Senate Democrats attended the welcoming reception.
“Inclusion in the Senate will need to take on a whole new meaning with Saud there,” said one Democrat to the Hartford Courant.
In Islam, there is no punishment for consuming pork without the intention to do so.
