Dogs

A radio newsitem on October 6 caught my attention. It said that for the first time a guide dog was allowed to enter a mosque in Leicester at prayer time together with its owner. The decision or fatwa was heralded by a mosque leader as a breakthrough and he hoped that many mosques all-over the United Kingdom would follow this example: guide dogs are no longer to be considered as unclean when they take their blind owners to say their prayers in the mosque. He added by way of assurance that guide dogs are well-trained and well-behaving dogs that do not disturb the praying service in any way.

The newsitem brought home to me that indeed in the predominantly Muslim neighbourhood of Aston one hardly sees a dog. I am in the habit of making daily tours through the neighbourhood on foot and it is only rarely that I see dog-owners walking their dogs and they, the dog-owners that is, are mostly white. In a garden not far at the back of our house a large dog can be seen and heard occasionally, jumping and barking around, but its owner is distinctly West-Indian. The Muslim population of mostly Pakistani and Bangladeshi do not seem to take to dogs. Cats is a different story, we see them daily in a balancing act crossing the wooden fence of our garden.

So I was utterly surprised while reading the reminiscences of Dr. Mohammed Naseem, the chairman of the Birmingham Central Mosque since 1975. His piece was first published in the Birmingham Mail of 15th July 2006. He recalls his visits to a park as a child and how he loved the roses on display. The part that suprised me said: "I love dogs too, they are beautiful creatures, so loyal, so devoted. They have only one mission in their lives - to serve and please their masters. They have a total commitment that we humans can learn from. They also come in different colours - white, brown, black, grey and even spotted. It is a joy to visit the annual dog show. The display of colours and quality takes me back to my days of the visits to the park."

Of course, Dr. Naseem does not say that he ever owned a dog himself. He may be simply talking about a love from afar. Still, it is remarkable that he publicly declares his love for dogs, while other Muslims consider them as unclean. I have not yet been able to figure out how this incongruity is possible, but the one conclusion I felt safe to draw for myself is, that caution is needed in approaching the belief system of another religion. It may be more complicated than it seems at first sight.

Ton