Last month, the MPs approved a two-month jail sentence and fines of up to BD300 (US$ 785) for anyone illegally importing, selling or possessing pork, which is forbidden in Islam, TradeArabia News Service quotes a report in Gulf Daily News.

The ban on pork has been included in a bill that also seeks tougher penalties for gambling and could potentially lead to the ban of alcohol.

The controversial bill will then be forwarded to the Shura Council and, if approved, would be submitted to the Cabinet for review and to His Majesty King Hamad for ratification.

Some consumers fear banning pork could affect international business by making the country a less desirable destination.

Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) food and agriculture committee chairman Ebrahim Al Daisi was also against banning pork.

"I think there are more important issues to worry about than banning pork or alcohol in Bahrain," he said.

"The MPs argue we're an Islamic country, but we can't just ban something because we don't want to consume it. There are residents who do consume these products and we have to consider them too. You can't force other people to follow what you believe is right."

However, Daisi does not believe a ban on pork would have a major impact on business, as the amount of pork imported to Bahrain is not huge.