As you read through this article you might notice a Muslim tinge to it. For example, notice that the writer starts off saying that the dogs might bite or attack their handlers? Bite by accident, sure. Attack, I seriously doubt it.
And isn’t it convenient that the Iraqis are okay with Salukis because they find them useful but all other dogs are considered unclean? Now I think Salukis are gorgeous but is there anything different about them to make them religiously acceptable? I doubt it. I suspect this is just a case of religious justification and that culturally Iraqis don’t like dogs.
So what does this mean when Muslims in other parts of the world claim their religious beliefs require they not interact with dogs, as in the case of Taxis or schools with guide dog protected children? It tells me, once again, that their distaste for dogs is just that, a cultural or personal dislike, and not a real religious issue.
Thanks to John D. for barking in this article from Yahoo News.
In Iraq, a Marine’s best friend is a dog with 42 teeth
By Raviya H. Ismail, McClatchy Newspapers
Thu May 22
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq — Although getting bitten or attacked by their partners is an occupational hazard, Marines on the al Asad airbase northwest of Baghdad say theirs is the most coveted job in the military.
After all, they’re paired up with what Westerners— although not all Muslims— consider man’s best friend. This sprawling base’s K-9 teams, which consist of one dog and one Marine, are a mainstay in Iraq’s once restive Sunni Muslim Anbar province.
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