Guide Dogs in the View of Islam

As everyone know that I moved from Arkansas to Colorado last year. to continue my goal and to be more independent, I applied for a guide dog. however, as we know about the culture in Islam that dogs are not accepted. therefore, I've done a research to see what Muslim leaders think about this issue , and this is what I found. before you read the article, I just want to let you know that I got the acceptance to get a guide dog and I'm going for the training next month

Guide Dogs in the View of Islam

            A few months ago a 73-year-old guide dog owner, George Herridge was told by a Muslim bus driver to get off his bus because of his guide dog, Andy. Herridge states that "I was coming home on the bus and there were some Muslim children screaming...the driver pulled over and asked me to get off the bus" (Andy Russell). This scenario is very common throughout the UK. In the Islamic culture, people consider dogs as unclean animals and if the saliva of the dog gets on them, they will have to wash themselves. However, blind people in western countries use dogs to guide them safely from one place to another. There are many benefits of owning a guide dog since they help blind people to become more independent and socially active, and they are also different than typical pets because of the special purpose they serve. Therefore, Muslim people and leaders in the Middle East and other Islamic countries should accept guide dogs and follow the Muslim leaders in western countries.

            Blind people have been using guide dogs to guide them safely from one place to another for a long time. According to the International Guide Dog Federation website, guide dogs have been used to help blind people since World War I. Visually impaired people have also been using other mobility aids such as a white cane to navigate, which has been more commonly used than guide dogs. Guide dogs have become more popular due to the benefits they offer for blind people. There are many benefits of using a guide dog. Guide dogs can help blind people to move smoothly in rough and extreme weather conditions. Navigating through such conditions with a guide dog is more practical and convenient than using a cane. Also, guide dogs help increase the owner's independence and mobility confidence as well as helping them become more outgoing and socially active. According to Lorraine Whitmarsh, a lecturer in environmental psychology at Cardiff University, "Almost all owners (92%) report that people frequently stop and talk with them while out with their dog; and three-quarters have made new friends since having their dog." This illustrates that in addition to increased mobility confidence and independence, social engagement is one of the most important benefits of guide dog ownership.

            I asked Christine Difato, a  guide dog owner, about how independent she became after getting her guide dog, she said: "...I remember the first time that I walked with my guide-dog. It was the first time that I could walk down a path and day-dream. I didn't have to pay 100 percent attention to everything around me." With a cane it's very difficult to walk and be as independent as when you have a guide dog because the cane is an obstacle finder, which means that the blind person will have to walk around the obstacles and find the right path, and it's very difficult to do that in a non-familiar place. However, a guide dog is an obstacle avoider, which means that the dog will avoid all the obstacles and walk the blind person safely from place to another, even in non-familiar places. I also asked Christine about how safe she felt after getting her guide dog, she said that "I travel all the time, nationally and internationally, with my guide-dog. When he is with me, I am never concerned...he is looking and guiding me and will make sure, even in a completely new environment, that I am safe." This illustrates how guide dogs provide owners with a peace of mind. Difato also states that "...with a dog, I am much more conspicuous and visible, and people will notice me, which will help if I am ever lost or confused. I have done so much with my guide-dog that I would definitely hesitate to do without him, particularly traveling in new areas without any orientation and mobility." These examples demonstrate the invaluable benefits guide dogs have to offer to blind individuals.

            Guide dogs are not like normal pets, and they are different from other dogs. Guide dogs have a special purpose which is helping blind people to walk with confidence and gain independence. Also, guide dogs are cared for differently than other dogs, and are not allowed to wander in the street or outside by themselves without their owner with them. Guide dogs are well trained and well behaved. The Quran (scriptures written by God), and the Hadith (scriptures written by the Prophet Mohammed) both state that dogs are an important part of human lives and we should accept them (Wijaya). In the Quran when talking about the Dwellers of the Cave and their dogs, a popular Islamic story, God says "You would think that they were awake, when they were in fact asleep. We turned them to the right side and the left side, while their dog stretched his arms in their midst." Clearly, God is saying that dogs are an important part of human lives because the dog is sleeping with them, which shows that their dog is with them all the time. God also states in the Quran that he created the animals for humans to benefit from them. Prophet Mohammed supports this as well, in his response in the Hadith when people asked him "O Messenger of God, will we be rewarded for how we treat animals?" He said, "In every living thing there is a reward." (Wijaya). The prophet's statements clearly are encouraging people to take care of animals and not ignore them or mistreat them. The Prophet also said: "Whoever is kind to the creatures of God is kind to himself." (Narrated by Abdallah bin 'Amru, in Bukhari and Muslim). Therefore, because of these examples from the Quran and Hadith, guide dogs should be accepted in Islam.

Muslim leaders in western countries have been accommodating Muslim blind people and have accepted guide dogs. To spread the awareness about guide dogs and show Muslim people that guide dogs should be accepted in Islam, the Muslim community leaders in Australia have visited the Guide Dog Training School to prove to the community that guide dogs are different than other dogs. The leaders in the UK and Australia have issued Fatwa to allow blind Muslim people into mosque with their guide dogs. In the article "Convincing Muslims to Open Doors for Guide Dogs", David Earley quotes Imam Buksh who states that Muslims should accommodate the need of guide dogs for blind people and make special arrangements for them like other mosques in other western countries. In addition to the Muslim leaders, the UK transport minister, Norman Baker has been trying to stop Muslim bus drivers from refusing guide dogs and their blind owners from riding their buses, with no luck so far. Baker states that "'If dogs are causing a nuisance, a driver has every right to ask the owner to leave." Baker adds that "It is more questionable to be asked to remove a dog for religious reasons. Muslim leaders in the UK have worked very hard to accommodate the needs of blind people, among them is allowing guide dogs to mosque, like what they did for Mohammed Khatri. Mohammed became blind when he was 15 years old and he used the white cane for a while. Mohammed describes his life as very "independent" after getting his dog, "especially getting around on the college campus and getting food". According to his dad, it took Mahomed about "six months" to get use to the new life. These Muslim leaders in the UK and Australia are Muslim, and Islam is one religion. Therefore, Muslim leaders in other countries such as the middle East should follow them.

            In Islam, people view dogs differently than people in Western countries. Culturally, Muslim people think that dogs are  unclean, and they should not be allowed to be in their houses. Not only that, but  Muslim people can't touch dogs. If they did so, they will have to wash themselves. Muslim cab and bus drivers throughout the UK, Australia and other western countries have not been allowing blind people into their vehicles for the same reason. Rasheed A. Ali the Guide Dogs Queensland board director says that many cab drivers "are reluctant to have dogs sitting in the cabs because there's a belief that if their saliva gets on stuff it becomes unclean." However, this is making blind people's lives very difficult and complicated. In her article "Muslims eject guide dogs from buses; Guide dog row," Marie Woolf states that the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has been getting complaints from the dog owners about Muslim bus drivers discriminating against them. Some taxi companies in the UK have taken action against Muslim drivers that refuse to allow guide dogs on their vehicles, which may result with them losing their jobs. Muslim drivers and other people should understand the needs of other people and they should accommodate.  Since Muslim cab and bus drivers follow the prophet Mohammed and what he said in the Hadith, they should listen to God to what he said in the Quran and listen to their leaders when they issue Fatwas. Muslim people should get educated about these issues because the prophet Mohammed, God, and Muslim leaders have accepted guide dogs and they think it's reasonable for blind people to have guide dogs. Some blind Muslim people had to find an alternative to guide dogs. According to the Daily Telegraph website, Mona Ramouni a 28 year old  blind Muslim woman living in a Detroit suburb had to train a horse Cali as a guide because her Muslim family refused to have a dog in the house. Dawud Walid, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations says that "horses are seen as "regal animals."' However, Walid states that guide horses may be treated like guide dogs in certain areas  in mosques. Since horses will be treated like dogs in certain areas , there is no reason to not accept guide dogs in Islam. Therefore, cab drivers and other Muslim people should learn and get educated about what the Quran and Hadith say about dogs in order to gain understanding and acceptance of guide dogs in Islam.

            Visually impaired people have depended on guide dogs to guide them from one point to another for a long time. Guide dogs are not like normal pets because they help blind people in their daily life. Furthermore, these dogs are cared for differently since they are trained to be more disciplined. Muslim leaders in western countries have issued Fatwas and have made adjustments in mosques to accommodate Muslim blind people. Blind Muslims have greatly benefited from these accommodations and are thankful for what their leaders have done for them. However, Muslim bus and cab drivers are still refusing to allow blind people and their guide dogs into their vehicles due to their belief that dogs are not clean. It is my hope that Muslim people who have this belief become educated and that Muslim leaders in the Middle east and other Islamic countries follow the  Muslim leaders in the United Kingdom and other western countries.

Works cited

Difato, Christine. “Re: Could you please answer these questions?” Message to the author.  1 April. 2011.E-mail.

            Earley, David. "Convincing Muslims to Open Doors for Guide Dogs." The Courier Mail             (Australia). 25 Sept. 2009. Web. 1 Mar. 2011.

            "Guide Dogs: Advantages, Disadvantages, Equipment, Care and Training." Living Blind:           Blindness Information, Resources and Fun Stuff Too. Web. 12 Apr. 2011.

            Guide Dogs for the Blind-UK. "YouTube - Guide Dogs within Islam - Mahomed Khatri and His            Guide Dog Vargo." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 24 January 2009. Web. 20 Mar.

                        2011.

            International Guide Dog Federation. Web. 12 Apr. 2011.

            "Tiny Horse Trains as Guide for Blind Muslim Woman." Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph Online,     Daily Telegraph. 10 Apr. 2009. Web. 21 Mar. 2011.

            Whitmarsh, Lorraine. "The Benefit of Guide Dog Ownership." Guide Dogs for the Blind-UK. 24            Jan. 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2011.Wijaya, Nur Amira Safari. "On Islam and Dogs: What the Hadith Says." The Straits Times         (Singapore). 14 Oct. 2006. Web. 1 Mar. 2011.

            Woolf, Marie. "Muslims Eject Guide Dogs from Buses; Guide Dog Row." Sunday Times.          Sunday Times, 18 July 2010. Web. 11 Mar. 2011.