Lesson in Fact Finding Too

The following story caught my eye, and I thought, hmmm? Let's see what you think, history buffs.

General "Black Jack" Pershing and Muslim Terrorists in the Philippines before WW I:

Just before World War I, there were a number of terrorist attacks on United States forces in the Philippines by Muslim extremists. So General Pershing captured 50 terrorists, and had them tied to posts for execution. He then had his men bring in two pigs, and slaughter them in front of the horrified terrorists.

Muslims detest pork, because they believe pigs are filthy animals. Some of them simply refuse to eat it, while others won't even touch pigs at all, nor any of their by-products. To them, eating or touching a pig, its meat, its blood, etc., is to be instantly barred from Paradise (and the promised virgins), and doomed to hell.

The soldiers then soaked their bullets in the pigs' blood, and proceeded by firing squad, to execute 49 of the terrorists. The soldiers then dug a big hole, threw in the terrorists' lifeless bodies, and covered them in pig blood, entrails, etc. They let the 50th man go.

And for the next 42 years, there was not a single Muslim extremist attack anywhere in the world.

Teachers: A very interesting, albeit, brutal story; that means your older students should love it! Lots to research here: Who was Gen. Pershing, and why was he famous? Why were we in the Phillipines prior to WWI? Muslims in the Phillipines, whats up with that? Throughout the ages, what were some similar strategies that societies/cultures/armies/tribes used to frighten their enemies away? You get the idea. But be sure to check out, as dear departed Paul Harvey would say, "...the rest of the story" at Snopes.