Keeping dogs as pets is now punishable in Iran

Oh dear. It's difficult to comment on this without coming over as racist and/or religist (if there is such a word!)

I have known quite a few people of the Islam/Muslim persuasion (not Iranians) and as far as I was aware dogs were not an issue with them although they not have been very keen on them, just as some people of other cultures are not. Except for one man, who about 25 or so years ago was the regular auditor of accounts every 6 months at the company I was with. He wasn't the friendliest or most outgoing of people anyway (I've never met an auditor who is! ) but when the Company Secretary of this private company brought her Labrador into the office, as only she was allowed to do, Mohammed would positively avoid being near it - getting up and leaving his desk if the dog came near and muttering aggressively.

Inbuilt fear of any particular form of life is terribly difficult to overcome.

You know, I don't think I know of a word which is to religion as racism is to race! Religious intolerance, I suppose, would be the term I'd use. Strange! But yes, it's quite a sensitive topic. Hard to avoid offending somebody!

'Unclean animal' reactions don't seem to be a huge thing over here, but we've come across it with parents of children who attend a nearby primary school. The children automatically want to stroke the dog and are scolded by the parents or, if the child actually touches the dog, are dragged back home to wash. I find it quite hard to know how to react when this happens.

I have a friend named Saeed. He's from Saudi Arabia.
Dogs are basically feral there.
He adores dogs and I always have to make mine do tricks when he visits. He has a special soft spot for Xan. It astounds him that we can have such a bond and I can make them do things on command and he laughs like a child when they sit or down for him.
Hard to understand.

He tells how he tamed a feral bitch with puppies when 6 years old. He sneaked off and fed her milk, bread and whatever he could sneak away.
He then took the puppies home one day and his father almost beat him to death because he brought the unclean animals into their house. When he could finally get out of bed the puppies and mother had 'run off' according to his father.

I'm very grateful that I didn't have any of that when I was growing up, as I would gravitate towards dogs as soon as I learned to walk.

I was just as bad. My first word was woow woow. I have a tape that my mum recorded where I'm 'reading' a magazine and you can hear me turning and slamming the pages going "woow woow woow woow". We didn't even have a dog then as my mum and dad were only starting out and living in an apartment.
They would have had trouble if we'd been born in Saudi or Iran

We do get problems in this area, but not massive ones. Where I used to live in Slough, though, was a different matter!

If I walked down the road with Bandit, most of the neighbours would cross the road or dart back into their houses. If Bandit brushed past someone or sniffed at them, they would immediately go home again to wash!

Baffles my mind to try and understand. I can understand a pig or a monkey even a cow or something that lives wild in a field and is uncared for.
But a dog?

Not long ago I had a discussion with a Pastor on whether I believed dogs have souls and will go to heaven. I told him I don't know for sure but if I don't see my dogs and cats in heaven that would be hell so ...

I like that, Theresa!

Dirty unclean animals ?? God knows what they would make of the kids sleeping on our bed and me swapping tongues with them then eh

Different cultures, different beliefs!  It can be applied to so many things or situations.

Though I don't agree with many, If that is what you are taught from birth you too would not know any other way. The same as kids taught to hate & carry arms..... they do not see another way.

Tbh, I prefer it if Dempsey's tongue stays away from my mouth, but that's because I've seen the things he eats! And contrary to what people believe, dogs' tongues are not cleaner than people's.

I honestly don't care if i sound racist. they're idiots. as are many other races. in fact, i am racist, to everyone. everyone is idiots. lol

Hayley wrote:I honestly don't care if i sound racist. they're idiots. as are many other races. in fact, i am racist, to everyone. everyone is idiots. lol

Hayley, I have always said, nationality makes no difference, nor does colour or creed. If someone is moron, then they're a moron.

But I'm not racist.  I dislike all morons the same amount!

I don't think they're idiots, tbh. If following your beliefs makes you an idiot, then yes, we are all idiots. But, unless an aspect of a religion hurts people/animals, I respect it.

I don't think it's a case of being idiots. Rather, it's a case of ignorance.

I firmly believe that all creatures are creations of God & so none of them can be 'unclean' in that way - filthy, yes, but not spiritually unclean.