Panic in Khartoum: Foreigners Shake Hands, Make Penises Disappear

[TrogL]

http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD59303

During September 2003, mass hysteria spread through Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, which was ultimately quelled by police intervention and statements made by the health minister. The panic was caused by rumors of foreigners roaming the city and shaking men's hands, making their penises disappear. The rumors were spread rapidly by text messages on cellular phones, and diverted the public's attention from a breakthrough in negotiations in Kenya between Sudanese Vice President Ali Othman and SPLA leader John Garang.

...

Two of the "victims" agreed to tell their story to the London-based Arabic daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi. One of them, fabric merchant S. K. A., said that a man from a West African tribe came into his shop to buy fabric, but an argument quickly developed between the two. Then the West African shook the store owner's hand powerfully until the owner felt his penis melt into his body. The store owner became hysterical, and was taken to the hospital. <3>

While the majority of accounts involved handshaking, another victim, who refused to give his name, said that while he was at the market, a man approached him, gave him a comb, and asked him to comb his hair. When he did so, within seconds, he said, he felt a strange sensation and discovered that he had lost his penis. It was also claimed that once "'Satan's Friend' drains a man's virility," he demands that his victim pay him over four million Sudanese pounds (about $3,000) to get it back.

I'd shake my head in total incomprehension if I didn't have an inbox full of Viagra spam.

[Maple]

1. Human beings

are incredibly suggestible...not to mention gullible.

[Brucey]

2. Koro disease.

A term, probably of Malyasian origin, that refers to an episode of sudden and intense anxiety that the penis will recede into the body and possibly cause death. The syndrome is reported in south and east Asia, where it is known by a variety of local terms, such as shuk yang, shook yong, suo yang, jinjinia bemar, or rok-joo. It is occasionally found in the West. (From the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

I've heard that oral sex is the only sure cure for Koro.

[RandomKoolzip]

3. As persuasive an argument for feminism as I've ever heard...

Is there a female equivalent for this ailment? I doubt it.... Guys, remember, your most important organ is YOUR BRAIN, not, mr. happy.

[Davis_X_Machina]

4. Sounds like a job for the Clenis.... n/t

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

5. detachable penis?

Detachable Penis

King Missile

I woke up this morning with a bad hangover, and my penis was missing again.
This happens all the time. It's detachable. This comes in handy a lot of
the time. I can leave it home when I think it's going to get me in trouble,
or I can rent it out when I don't need it. But now and then I go to a
party, get drunk, and the next morning I can't for the life of me remember
what I did with it. First I looked around my apartment and I couldn't find
it, so I called up the place where the party was, they hadn't seen it either.
I asked them to check the medicine cabinet 'cause for some reason, I leave
it there sometimes, but not this time. So I told them if it pops up to let
me know. I called a few people who were at the party, but they were no help
either. I was starting to get desperate. I really don't like being without
my penis for too long. It makes me feel like less of a man and I really
hate to have to sit down every time I take a leak. After a few hours of
searching the house and calling everyone I could think of, I was starting
to get very depressed, so I went to the Kiev and at breakfast. Then as I
walked down Second Avenue toward St. Mark's Place,where all those people
sell used books and other junk on the street, I saw my penis lying on a
blanket next to a broken toaster oven. Some guy was selling it. I had to
buy it off him. He wanted 22 bucks, but I talked him down to 17. I took it
home, washed it off, and put it back on. I was happy again. Complete.
People sometimes tell me I should get it permanently attached, but I don't
know. Even though sometimes it's a pain in the ass, I like having a
detachable penis.