Asked to leave because our dog was offending the Muslim children?

[anchovies]

We went to watch ds2 play football at a local sports centre yesterday. He was playing on the astroturf which was next to a field. We stood on the field to watch with the dog on a lead. The caretaker came over about 2 minutes later and asked us to leave, not because dogs aren't allowed, but because apparently our black dog was offending the Muslim children in the arts centre next door. We saw some parents dropping children off as we arrived but other than that we were nowhere near any Muslim children. Apparently complaints had been made because we had the dog on the site, we refused to leave at first but the caretaker got the site manager. I am planning on making a complaint but before I send it am I right in thinking this is bonkers? I understand that dogs are unclean but he was on a lead? Seems like a very strange policy, apparently the dog was "worse" because he is black?

My family are Muslim and the only clear rule about dogs is that their saliva renders you unclean for prayer. Now the result of this is that many Muslims are just generally afraid of dogs, in particular black dogs. To be fair, they also have problems with cats which there is NO religious precedent for. Unfamiliarity breeds hated, etc. etc. I can actually go poking around and find you the Hadith that backs up your right to walk anywhere you want with their dog, as long as the dog's saliva doesn't touch a passing Muslim they are still clean for prayer. To be fair, just about anything renders you unclean for prayer; going to the loo, flatulence, your period. When I was a small, devout, child I would wash up before all prayers just because I couldn't remember if I had farted or let the dog lick me. It hardly put me out.

Also my grandfather is a VERY devout Muslim, he brought us our first dog; a pitch black mastiff/wolfhound mix named Monster. No amount of religion is going to make dog people stop being dog people. He keeps finding scriptural precedent for the care of animals.

Our town's Santa's grotto was a mosque last year, so as not to offend local Muslims it wasn't, it was Cinderalla's bloody castle. It even had Cinderella's mice outside and a glass slipper. This year it's been moved inside an empty shop unit so it's out of view of the Muslims not because McDonalds and the man with the inflatable slide has taken up all the space where it used to be

It must be true because it's all over Facebook

I like the sound of Monster the dog. Can we see a photo please? I do second dog drool. Must be an episcopalian thing too!

I know a black dog that keeps a mulsim as a pet.

Its political correctness gorn Monty Python.

Last Christmas we invited a few of my husband's colleague's over for Christmas. Being foreign researchers on short term contracts meant they didn't really know anyone else. I often take in strays. So Christmas dinner was shared with a lady from Finland, a baptist from London, 2 catholics from Romania, a muslim from Gambia and a muslim from Aberdeen.

The guy from Gambia did look slightly alarmed at being slobbered over by a pack of westies. But he took it in his stride. The guy from Aberdeen joined in with our drunken carol singing (without the alcohol part). And a good laugh was had by all when husband tried to walk on his new stilts and fell head first into a mountain of snow.

I would love it if every dog could be drummed out of the UK. Hate them.
Even if people think they are clean they are still licking and slurping and even if they pick up their mess there is still a remains of it. If the advance of Islam can lead to fewer UK dogs then so much the better.

It's like smoking. Why should dog haters be subjected to other people's animals?

What a lovely post, TinyArmy :) Somehow I'm finding the idea of dog people being dog people across national/religious/cultural divides to be incredibly cheering.

Also at "Madness gawn politically correct". :o

When my friends were in Morocco they were asked several times if it was really true that English people let dogs live in their houses and even sleep in their beds.
(I love the idea of this being something that people had heard happened in England but didn't quite know whether to believe it.)

Oh, shall we start a list of things we personally hate that should therefore be drummed out of the UK?

When walking in a touristy National Trust park that hosts a lot of school trips I have had Muslim children leap out of the way (nowhere near them, plenty of room to pass), shriek and generally have hysterics over the dogs. My understanding is that they are often regarded as unclean, similar to pigs/pork.

They didn't seem genuinely upset, more of the sort of faux-hysterical fuss kids might make over a frog or a dead thing or anything that would make a group of excitable girls shriek. Anybody telling me I couldn't walk there for that reason would just have to get over themselves.

I thought Muhammad liked cats, the M shape they all have above their eyes is supposed to be where he blessed them. Bit of useless trivia for you there.

If we're doing Daily Mail-isms may I have have "will through last person in England please turn out the light". Arf!

Can we drum out golf and golfers, then, if this is a request thread?

GREAT idea Grimma.

Nail files to be top of the list, please. And ponchos. They. Must. Go.

TeaCider- that is what I hear as well. My (Muslim) ex is very scared of cats- although he bonded with my equally cowardly ginger tabby. His family always kept dogs, but for hunting.

I had an African (Christian) workmate who was just Appalled by the whole idea of animals in the house.

Can we add beef flavoured crisps to the list please? The smell of them on people's breath makes me wanna hurl.

Where's the OP gone?

When I'm walking in our country park, which also gets a lot of school groups, usually multicultural, I'll find there's a few who sidle quietly away from our dog while most - of all races - go 'ahhhh- its a sausage dog, how cute'.
(black and tan, maybe the tan redeems him?)

Islam is not a monolithic religion with a single infallible leader. Just as some Christians will happily ordain gay people and bless gay marriages, and others will support the death penalty for homosexuality, some Muslims will keep dogs as pets whilst others will avoid them as unclean, teach their children to be afraid (as will many non-Muslims of course) or genuinely believe that they are representatives of the devil who should be destroyed.

Ask your leisure centre for clarification OP, but if it's confirmed then consider your next move very carefully, I wouldn't want my leisure services to pander to the forces of irrationality to this extent, but neither would I want to lend succour to the Daily Mail brigade.

One REAL problem is that Muslim Children who are not brought up to cope with dogs can panic if they see one loose, so run, so are more likely to get bitten - reinforcing and perpetuating the problem.

A friend had a HUGE dog (rottie alsatian cross) that he would take into the infant schools (by invitation of course) to try to teach the kids to freeze rather than run, to not stick their fingers in its face etc etc
common sense stuff that they had no chance to learn at home

My 'adopted' Muslim grandpa hated cats. He used to whack them on the head with his prayer beads. He likes his dog though (it was white).

I do get the impressions that it is mainly African Muslims who especially object to dogs.

Kladdkaka, can I come to your for Christmas? It sound like fun!

The OP was back at ten to four Menopausal. I think she is allowed a 25 minute break from MN

Oh

[sorry]

Oh, shall we start a list of things we personally hate that should therefore be drummed out of the UK?

I love dogs. They're so much nicer than people. I want to add non-dog lovers to the list.