Re: Cats and dogs banned by Saudi religious police ( Western influence )

On 8 Sep 2006 16:52:34 -0700, "cksf" <ck_in_sf1@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:



And where do you fit in to this scheme of things? LOL
do you fit in the US or is it you arse fits the many ...

CKSF

Renjong wrote:
The U.S backed Saudi royal family and their extreme Wahabi ideology are
the biggest sponsors of extremism in the Islamic world. U.S. patronage
of Saudi royals and their deviant teachings are factors that perpetuate
extremism in the Islamic world. Is it clear from the number of Saudi
suicide bombers in Iraq than the U.S. is the biggest sponsor of
terrorism in the world today.

Is it altogether plausible for such a twisted ideology to do crazy
things like these as long as it serves Western interest in slandering
Islam and perpetuating a state of war. The U.S. sponsors crazies, the
crazies do crazy things and the U.S. points the finger at Islam and
bombs innocent women and children in Palestine and Lebanon, rapes
children in Iraq and threatens world peace in Iran. Cheney and the
Jewish mafia makes money from arms sales, pays off whoring journalists,
Islamophobes get their fodder and Zionists get to perpetuate their
illegal landgrab. Then some ignorant rednecks go on TV and blame Islam
and call for all muslims to be exterminated. Is this what all that
Secular Ethical Rationalism and Christian Values about? This "Western"
notion of "fairplay" is Satanic! FUCKING HYPOCRITES.

fairplay wrote:
MSNBC.com
Cats and dogs banned by Saudi religious police


Muhammad was a cat person, but some say pets signal Western influence
The Associated Press

Updated: 5:09 p.m. CT Sept 8, 2006

JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia's religious police, normally tasked
with chiding women to cover themselves and ensuring men attend mosque
prayers, are turning to a new target: cats and dogs.

The police have issued a decree banning the sale of the pets, seen as a
sign of Western influence.

The prohibition on dogs may be less of a surprise, since conservative
Muslims despise dogs as unclean. But the cat ban befuddled many, since
Islamic tradition holds that the Prophet Muhammad loved cats - and even
let a cat drink from his ablutions water before washing himself for prayers.

The religious police, known as the Muttawa, have the role of enforcing
Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic code. Its members prowl streets and malls,
ensuring unmarried men and women do not mix, confronting women they feel
are not properly covered or urging men to go to prayers.

But the government also gives the Muttawa wide leeway to enforce any
rules they deem necessary to uphold the social order.

The decree - which applies to the Red Sea port city of Jiddah and the
holy city of Mecca - bans the sale of cats and dogs because "some youths
have been buying them and parading them in public," according to a memo
from the Municipal Affairs Ministry to Jiddah's city government.

The memo, obtained by The Associated Press, urges city authorities to
help enforce the ban.

Pet owning is not common in the Arab world, though dogs are kept for
hunting and guarding. In large cities around the Middle East, stray dogs
often wander the streets and are considered pests. Street cats are also
plentiful, and people will often feed them or play with them - but it
isn't a widespread custom to keep one in the home, and many cannot
afford it.

Owning pets is a fashion statement
However, in the past decades, owning dogs or cats has become a fashion
statement among Saudis. Showing off a Doberman, pit bull or fancy breed
of feline has became a status symbol.

Conservatives decry the trend as a Western influence, just like the fast
food, shorts, jeans and pop music that have become more common in the
kingdom, which is ruled by the puritanical Wahhabi interpretation of
Islam. They say it should be fought because it is threatening the fabric
of Gulf nations.

"One bad habit spreading among our youths is the acquisition of dogs and
showing them off in the streets and malls," wrote Aleetha al-Jihani in a
letter to Al-Madina newspaper. "There's no doubt that such a matter
makes one shudder."

"Then what's the point of dragging a dog behind you?" he added. "This is
blind emulation of the infidels."

The decree has not been enforced yet, according to several pet shop
owners and veterinary clinics in Jiddah. It applies only to selling dogs
and cats, and there was no sign the Muttawa would confiscate pets.

The decree did not say whether the religious police would try to stop
people from appearing in public with a dog or cat - or whether owners
would be allowed to sell puppies or kittens born to their pets.

The ban distressed cat and dog lovers. Some have wondered why the
religious police are focusing on this issue when the country has far
more important challenges, such as terrorism and unemployment.

"I was shocked when I heard about it," said Fahd al-Mutairi, who owns 35
cats. "What was even more shocking was to hear that the ban came from an
authority that has nothing to do with such an issue."

"I would understand if it came from the Health Ministry or anybody
charged with ensuring pets coming from outside do not carry diseases,"
added the 23-year-old flower-shop owner.

No other Arab country restricts pet ownership. But in Iran, ruled by
Shiite clerics, religious police sometimes harass people seen outside
with their dogs. Last year, Iranian police told people not to bring
their dogs out in public, but the order was never backed up by law and
dog-owners widely ignored it.

Prophet Muhammad was cat person
The inclusion of cats in the Saudi ban puzzled many, since there's no
scorn for them as there is for dogs in Islamic tradition.

One of the prophet's closest companions was given the name Abu Huraira,
Arabic for "the father of the kitten," because he always carried a
kitten and took care of it.

A number of hadiths - traditional stories of the prophet - show Muhammad
encouraging people to treat cats well.

Once, he let a cat drink from the water he was going to use for his
ablutions before prayers. Another time, Muhammad said a woman who kept a
cat locked up without feeding it would go to hell.

Dogs - considered dirty and dangerous - are less lucky. According to one
hadith, Muhammad said a Muslim loses credit for one good deed each day
he keeps a dog and even said dogs should be killed unless used for
hunting or protection.

Still, in another instance, he said that a prostitute who carried water
in her slipper to a thirsty dog would go to heaven, her sins forgiven
because of her kindness.

"All these things considered, it is obviously not against our religion
or our tradition to have dogs and cats as pets," columnist Abeer
Mishkhas wrote in the Arab News.

"I sincerely hope (authorities) will leave the cats and dogs alone and
concentrate on what should be their real business," she added.

Al-Mutairi said his friends and relatives cannot understand his passion
for his cats, which cost him $1,000 a month to feed and care for.

"I tell them this is not a Western innovation," he said. "Our religion
says we should take care of animals."
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14738358/
© 2006 MSNBC.com
.