# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/81 "2015-03-07T15:23:20Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > In the interest of fighting ignorance, what kind of ritual uncleanliness? First, why is a dog specifically unclean, what about it makes it unclean, what happens to the ritual if one is unclean and participates in it, and if all that is true, why don’t they still just fucking purify themselves? > > If I had a pet pig that wallows in its own filth, I wouldn’t pet him and go eat, I’d wash up first. So why aren’t Muslims keeping dogs and just purifying themselves before whatever ritual? According to tradition, it’s the saliva. It grew out of some hadiths. Also, like a lot of things it depends on which Muslims to talk to. At this point it’s more about the dogs left in most Muslim country. For example, when my father, who’s hardly religious came over to the US, it took him awhile to not be absolutely terrified by every dog he saw. Why? Well, because in Iran the only dogs around are wild, feral dogs which are definitely not dogs you would want as pets. Imagine how anyone from the UK or the US might feel going to a country where wolves were kept as pets and how people would react. ---
**Author:** ![Lemmytheseal2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@Lemmytheseal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemmytheseal2)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/82 "2015-03-07T16:00:22Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I’d rather just respect people than criticize their fears. I know my dog will not harm anyone, but THEY don’t know that. I am sure non-dog owners hate hearing people tell them “Oh, he’s REAL friendly! Don’t worry, he wont bite.” In fact, I hate that as well, when encountering an unfamiliar dog. Or, in my case, I know biting is unlikely. I just didn’t (and don’t) want saliva or mucus on me. My own is bad enough! ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/83 "2015-03-09T18:27:03Z")
I’ve got no problem with dogs, but they ARE unclean animals. It amazes me when people keep dogs in their home and insist they are clean. No sir/ma’am, your house is not clean. And yes, I can smell it. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/84 "2015-03-18T16:52:23Z")
> [@racepug](#): > > in fairness I’ve seen videos of very poor treatment of dogs from just about EVERYWHERE save for, maybe, Antarctica. [Dogs have arguably been treated badly on Antarctic expeditions.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sled_dog#Antarctic_expedition) I don’t think any of the people who did this faced any kind of social sanction for doing so. Sled dogs were eventually banned from Antarctica, but for environmental reasons, not animal welfare reasons. The ban went into effect in 1992, so you’re not likely to see any videos online of people mistreating sled dogs in Antarctica. > [@](#): > > we had a handful of Arabs over to our house a few years ago (and my wife used to go out with a guy from Saudi Arabia LOOOOOONG before I met her) and at just the very SIGHT of our dogs - two absolutely friendly and adorable PUGS that just about everybody else who meets them adores - they totally freaked out! All because of something their PROPHET said hundreds of years ago. Idiotic. And a good reason - as far as I’m concerned, anyway - to look askance at Muslims in general. Did your Arab friends _say_ they were terrified of your dogs because of something Mohammed said? There _are_ other reasons why people might be terrified of dogs. Some people are scared of dogs because they have been attacked by dogs. Some people don’t like how dogs smell. Some people have a thing about having dog or cat hair on their clothes (I really don’t understand this, but some people seem to feel strongly about it). Some people don’t like dogs jumping on them or licking them (even though puppy kisses are the BEST!). My niece, who is 7, is terrified of my cat. She’s Catholic, but I’ve met other Catholics who like cats, so I don’t think this has anything to do with her religion. As far as I know, she hasn’t been attacked by any cats- she’s just anxious around them. Some people just don’t like dogs or cats. Of course, if you grew up in a culture where dogs were not often kept as pets, you wouldn’t necessarily know how to tell if a dog is friendly. You might hang back from all dogs, just as a precaution. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/85 "2015-03-18T19:03:45Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > You just say that to [Molly’s](https://drpem3xzef3kf.cloudfront.net/photos/pets/30822744/1/?bust=1416192629&width=800) face, damn you. No offence, but Molly looks [del] like she got hit wid da wrong end of the ugly stick [/del] not quite as attractive as some pups I’ve seen. :eek: Here, let me whip out my _schnoodle_ for you to gaze longingly upon—my little _friend_ loves to be stroked around the head and caressed. Warning, [subject is jail-worthy](http://www.handsfeetandbeyond.com/daisy/schnoodle.jpg)! Yep, you could keel over from extreme adoration looking at that cutie-pie! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/86 "2015-03-18T19:44:14Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Can you provide any evidence for that claim? Not enough to outweigh the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. > [@Dorjan](#): > > I’ve got no problem with dogs, but they ARE unclean animals. It amazes me when people keep dogs in their home and insist they are clean. No sir/ma’am, your house is not clean. And yes, I can smell it. Yep. I am very fond of our dogs. But they are stinky and not allowed in the “house”. Cute, lovable, stinky mischievous little bastards. And stone killers. And I don’t pick up their shit. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/87 "2015-03-18T20:14:38Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > I’ve got no problem with dogs, but they ARE unclean animals. It amazes me when people keep dogs in their home and insist they are clean. No sir/ma’am, your house is not clean. And yes, I can smell it. Oh, c’mon Nervous Nelly, are you trying to tell me you wouldn’t do this with a dog?: [YouTube Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns-5g19waQ0) ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111/88 "2015-03-18T20:28:20Z")
Just to be clear, that is not me in the video I just posted. I’d never do that with a dog (or worse, with my ex). I do, however do it with our cat, guinea pig and gerbil (she’s a fox…well, not literally). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-muslims/714111.md?page=4)