# Pitting Muslims **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 3, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111 "2015-03-03T18:20:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/41 "2015-03-04T01:39:52Z")
> [@gracefulfatsheba](#): > > I am a Christian, but I absolutely hate dogs and the dog-obsessed culture we live in. > > They’re filthy, stupid, ugly animals. Those who love them are sentimental idiots with a desperate need to be loved who can’t make real human connections. Dog lovers are vulgar simpletons that warrant open contempt. It’s cool that you’re open with how you feel, so that normal folks like myself can avoid you. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/42 "2015-03-04T01:44:18Z")
> [@gracefulfatsheba](#): > > I am a Christian, but I absolutely hate dogs and the dog-obsessed culture we live in. > > They’re filthy, stupid, ugly animals. Those who love them are sentimental idiots with a desperate need to be loved who can’t make real human connections. Dog lovers are vulgar simpletons that warrant open contempt. :: coughs :: Dogs except for the Annoying Yappy Dog are filthy, stupid, and ugly. The AYD is loveable and cute. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/43 "2015-03-04T01:53:49Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I hear a jihad comin! I hear a jihad comin’ It’s comin’ round the bend I had more, but it got pretty tasteless pretty quickly. Besides, Johnny Cash deserves better. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/44 "2015-03-04T01:59:26Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > So, you’re pitting “Muslims” and “Asia?” - Up on the hill, people never stare. They just don’t care… \* ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/45 "2015-03-04T02:05:28Z")
> [@gracefulfatsheba](#): > > I am a Christian, but I absolutely hate dogs and the dog-obsessed culture we live in. > > They’re filthy, stupid, ugly animals. Those who love them are sentimental idiots with a desperate need to be loved who can’t make real human connections. Dog lovers are vulgar simpletons that warrant open contempt. Speaking as a lifelong dog lover,\* I think it’s a free country and you have a perfect right to your opinion. And I’m grateful to you for voicing that opinion here so that the OP can see how idiotic it sounds to try to criticize Muslims as a group for a trait that so many non-Muslims share (and that so many Muslims in fact _don’t_ share: Exhibit A, adorable photos from [Hassan’s Pet Care in Abu Dhabi](https://www.facebook.com/DogWalkingNPetSittingServiceInAbudhabi)). \*However, I do draw the line at referring to dog (or cat) owners as the “parents” of their pets. I don’t hate or despise people who choose to call pets their “children”, but that is just way out of my personal comfort zone. Personally, I like the Dutch term “baasje” or “little boss” for pet owner. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/46 "2015-03-04T02:12:05Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Personally, I like the Dutch term “baasje” or “little boss” for pet owner. I thought “little boss” was the pet. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/47 "2015-03-04T02:15:37Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > It’s just a homophone, dude, calm down. People will think you’re from Cardiff. Hmmph. At least you didn’t say people would think I was from South Carolina. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/48 "2015-03-04T02:31:03Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > I thought “little boss” was the pet. In practice, very probably. 🙂 Nominally, however, the term refers to the pet owner. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/49 "2015-03-04T02:32:05Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > My favorite part of this declaration of self-idiocy is this: > > “in fairness I’ve seen videos of very poor treatment of dogs from just about EVERYWHERE save for, maybe, Antarctica. But at least in those other places I don’t think it’s generally considered socially acceptable. Well, okay - maybe in Asia.” > > So, you’re pitting “Muslims” and “Asia?” It’s just _Asia_. Pffht! > [@racepug](#): > > Since this is the BBQ Pit you can take your accusations of “self-idiocy” and shove 'em where the sun don’t shine, bucko. I didn’t post looking for criticisms from self-important a-holes like YOU! Ooooh snap! Take that! Meanies! :mad: > [@racepug](#): > > Yeah, well - there are jackasses everywhere. Even here on the SDMB. Hmm…Maybe you are more self-aware than I’ve given you credit for. > [@racepug](#): > > When people call me an “idiot” I get defensive, REAL fast. I’m many things, and not all good to all people (though I generally try to be), but one thing I definitely am NOT is an idiot. yuh huh. > [@gracefulfatsheba](#): > > I am a Christian, but I absolutely hate dogs and the dog-obsessed culture we live in. > > They’re filthy, stupid, ugly animals. Those who love them are sentimental idiots with a desperate need to be loved who can’t make real human connections. Dog lovers are vulgar simpletons that warrant open contempt. Jesus Christ! Do you enjoy daily exercise, three meals a day and plenty of social interaction with like-minded peers? 'Cause I think you’ll find a comfortable home somewhere soon…:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/50 "2015-03-04T02:32:19Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > These wouldn’t be those same folks who smear ashes on their foreheads one day in February every year, would it? I mean, those folks are some strange!! That’s nothing. I know some folks who avoid wearing stripes with plaid! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/51 "2015-03-04T02:39:17Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > This also goes for religions who consider certain forms of food to be unclean. Lots of advances in hygiene in the last 2000 years. What was unclean then is now perfectly fine to eat. So scarf down that bacon and lobster roll you germaphobe! No particular comments on Muslims and dogs, but “unclean” doesn’t mean physically dirty in this context. Ritual uncleanliness isn’t about dirt; its about your ability to participate in ritual. So, when you read that Islam considers dogs unclean, that means that if a Muslim touches a dog, he or she has to undergo a purification ritual (washing with water or dirt, in this case) before he or she can pray. ---
**Author:** ![gracefulfatsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@gracefulfatsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracefulfatsheba)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/52 "2015-03-04T03:19:12Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > It’s cool that you’re open with how you feel, so that normal folks like myself can avoid you. Some of the things that dog lovers consider “normal” absolutely blow my mind, like letting a dog lick their face and their feet. How disgusting is that? I’m shuddering at the mere thought! I remember when I first moved to a big city and first saw people carrying around little plastic bags and picking up their dog’s shit. That has to be one the most debased positions I’ve ever seen a human being voluntarily put themselves in. Perfectly “normal”, though. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/53 "2015-03-04T03:30:23Z")
I’ve found I have absolutely nothing in common with people who don’t like animals. It’s a completely foreign way of thinking. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/54 "2015-03-04T03:34:19Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I thought it was because our dogs are fluffy, waggy, good-natured **fetchers** of tennis balls Bolding mine with no intent to change the meaning of the quote. Am I the only person who, while skimming, read that a “felchers?” > [@Guinastasia](#): > > That’s because Muhammad was a [cat person](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_cats). 🙂 I did not know that. The SDMB, where even know-it-alls find they don’t know it all. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/55 "2015-03-04T04:04:05Z")
> [@gracefulfatsheba](#): > > I remember when I first moved to a big city and first saw people carrying around little plastic bags and picking up their dog’s shit. That has to be one the most debased positions I’ve ever seen a human being voluntarily put themselves in. Perfectly “normal”, though. If you’re that appalled by the “debasement” involved in competent adults combating personal and public health hazards by responsibly disposing of the excrement of innocent creatures dependent on them who cannot assume that responsibility for themselves, I advise you to avoid any situation where you might observe a parent changing an infant’s diaper. Sensible people consider that providing proper care to loved ones they’re responsible for is a source of pride, not shame or degradation. Even if that care sometimes involves tasks that are unappealing in and of themselves, such as cleaning up shit. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/56 "2015-03-04T04:38:55Z")
> [@racepug](#): > > Yeah, well - there are jackasses everywhere. Even here on the SDMB. Any illusions I had that that wasn’t the case were dispelled months ago. If it’s any comfort to YOU you’re right - I probably should’ve titled my rant “Pitting anti-dog sentiment in Islam” but I have many things on my plate right now so I didn’t take the time to carefully consider the title for the OP. You have many things on your plate, so you didn’t take the time to think about your rant on some message board? I find this an interesting statement on either your priorities or your activities… ---
**Author:** ![gracefulfatsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@gracefulfatsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracefulfatsheba)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/57 "2015-03-04T04:40:46Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > If you’re that appalled by the “debasement” involved in competent adults combating personal and public health hazards by responsibly disposing of the excrement of innocent creatures dependent on them who cannot assume that responsibility for themselves, I advise you to avoid any situation where you might observe a parent changing an infant’s diaper. > > Sensible people consider that providing proper care to loved ones they’re responsible for is a source of pride, not shame or degradation. Even if that care sometimes involves tasks that are unappealing in and of themselves, such as cleaning up shit. The real question is why one would put oneself in a situation where personally disposing of an animal’s excrement becomes a daily responsibility. There’s nothing sensible about that, in my eyes. Surely, the ‘love’ (it is not actually love, but routine & dependence) that a dumb beast is capable of offering does not warrant reducing oneself to the level of a shit carrier. But it’s really a matter of perception. If I could see what you see in dogs (I’m glad I’m not that person), I’d think it was worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/58 "2015-03-04T04:55:20Z")
Not that I’m any fan of Muslim or any other religion, but dogs ARE unclean. Smell one. (Except mine, he smells okay. Well, mostly. Unless he’s wet.) Muslims hate dogs because Zoroastrians worshipped them, and Muslims were sworm enemies of Zoroastrians. But the Z’s probably didn’t like cats… ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/59 "2015-03-04T04:59:26Z")
I live in the largest Muslim country in the world and have lived here for a total of nearly 15 years since 1993. While I self-identify as a cat person, I like dogs well enough and currently own one. I’ve owned two dogs in the past as a Jakarta resident and currently have plenty of dog-owning friends. So I think I can speak on this subject with some authority. **OP, you have no clue what you are talking about.** Every day when I go for my daily run through the neighborhood I see several Indonesians walking well-cared for, obviously beloved dogs. Some of these Indonesians are not Muslims, but many of them are. In a lot of cases, it is a Muslim guard or maid walking the dog as part of the work they do for their employer. They often seem very happy to have such an enjoyable task. It’s true that there is a higher level of fear toward dogs here, because ordinary people tend to be less familiar with them - and any animal that will bark and jump and slobber on you is potentially scary. But it’s just a bit of caution, nothing more. Fear of the unknown is a normal human behavior and hardly restricted to Muslims. And there is a huge difference between shrinking away from an unfamiliar dog and actively abusing it. The mother of one of my son’s friends from 5th grade was a devout Muslim who veils. She told me that they had 12 dogs while she was growing up and that she adored them. Depending on what she was wearing, she would or would not pet our dogs when she came over. She had made a conscious decision a few years earlier to become more devout, and so was following rules about having to change clothes/wash up after touching dogs. If it was convenient for her to do whatever ablutions she felt necessary afterward, she’d go crazy over our spaniels. Honestly, I’ve seen far more abuse of dogs in Bali (a predominantly Hindu island) or on Pohnpei (a predominately Christian island) - or Kosrae (a very devout Christian island where they EAT dogs) than I have on Java, where most people are Muslim. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2015, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/60 "2015-03-04T10:29:14Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > That’s because Muhammad was a [cat person](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_cats). 🙂 As is [Ayatollah Sistani](http://www.sistani.org/english/qa/01162/): > [@](#): > > Question: What is your ruling about cat’s hair on a person’s dress during _salat_ [prayer]? > > Answer: Cat’s hair does not invalidate prayer. Hurray! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111.md?page=4)