Why Do So Many Muslims Hate Dogs?

by Hugh Fitzgerald

A Muslim taxi-driver in England, one Abandi Kassim, was recently fined for refusing to take on a blind passenger’s seeing-eye dog because, as Kassim claimed: “For me, it’s about my religion.”

There have been many such cases in the U.S., the UK, and Canada of Muslims refusing to pick up fares with seeing-eye dogs. Many of the Somali taxi drivers who made up three-quarters of the 900 taxi drivers at the Minneapolis airport refused to pick up blind passengers because of their dogs. When forced to do so, some of them simply quit.

In Toronto, a guide dog’s owner was refused taxi service by a Muslim driver. In Saskatchewan, the same problem. In Montreal, in Ottawa, and all across Canada, Muslim drivers have refused service to seeing-eye dogs. In London, in Nottingham, in Reading, and in Tunbridge Wells, taxi drivers have refused service to fares with dogs.

Blind or poorly sighted people with guide dogs have been forced by Muslim bus drivers to get off — often to calm the hysterical reaction of other Muslim passengers. Much worse, killings of dogs, chiefly by poison, in areas populated mainly by Muslims has been reported in Spain, Sweden, France, and Great Britain.

This Muslim hatred for dogs, as even many non-Muslims now know, has its origin in a celebrated hadith from the most authoritative collection, that by Bukhari:

Once Gabriel promised the Prophet (that he would visit him, but Gabriel did not come) and later on he said, ” We, angels, do not enter a house which contains a picture or a dog.” (Sahih Bukhari 4.54.50)

Two hadith from Sahih Muslim vividly convey Muhammad’s murderous hatred of dogs:

Abdullah (b. Umar) (Allah be pleased with them) reported: Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) ordered the killing of dogs and we would send (men) in Medina and its corners and we did not spare any dog that we did not kill, so much so that we killed the dog that accompanied the wet she-camel belonging to the people of the desert. (Sahih Muslim 3811)

Ibn Mughaffal reported: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) ordered killing of the dogs, and then said: “What about them, i. e. about other dogs?” and then granted concession (to keep) the dog for hunting and the dog for (the security) of the herd, and said: “When the dog licks the utensil, wash it seven times, and rub it with earth the eighth time.” (Sahih Muslim 551)

Dogs are to be killed, according to Muhammad, with the only exception made for those that are used for hunting or to guard a herd of cattle. But why? And why the mysterious coupling of two disparate items deemed haram: “pictures and dogs”?

A little history may help us solve this mystery.

The earliest conquests of the Muslims were to the north and northwest of Arabia, Egypt, Syria, and Mesopotamia: places populated by Christians. To the northeast, Muslims conquered the Sasanian Empire, which was peopled by Zoroastrians.

It was easy to distinguish the Christians, and to prevent fraternizing between Muslims and Christians. Christians had paintings, icons, and statues in their homes — the very things which, according to the hadith of Bukhari, the angel Gabriel said would prevent him from entering a house. That led to Muhammad to command the same for his followers.

If Muslims were told that Muhammad, the Perfect Man (al-insan al-kamil) and Model of Conduct (uswa hasana), would not enter a house that had “pictures” (paintings, icons, statues) in it, then no Muslim would do so. And if Christians, precisely in order that members of the ruling Muslim class might enter their houses — which for those Christians could be a desirable thing, for surely they would want to curry favor with the Muslims who now ruled over them — they might find themselves more willing to do away with statues, paintings, and icons.

But dogs? Well, dogs are revered in Zoroastrianism.

The conquest by the Muslim Arabs of the Sasanian Empire (Persia) by 651 made the Muslims masters of the Persian Zorostrians. And just as the Muslims could use Muhammad’s ban on “pictures” to distinguish themselves from the Christians they conquered, a similar ban on dogs would help Muslims to distinguish themselves from the Zoroastrians they conquered:

“Ehtirám-i sag,” or “Great respect for the dog,” is a command among Zoroastrians. The dog is regarded as an especially benevolent and virtuous creature, which must be fed and lovingly taken care of. The dog is praised for loyalty, intelligence and having special spiritual virtues.

It is precisely because dogs were prized by Zoroastrians, and treated with great affection and reverence, that Muslims would want to clearly distinguish themselves from the inferior Zoroastrian infidels by treating dogs with contempt and even hatred.

Muslim attitudes toward dogs, and the fiendish cruelty with which, in Muslim Iran, both Zoroastrians and their dogs are treated by Muslims, have been described by the celebrated scholar of Zoroastrianism, Mary Boyce, who lived with Zoroastrians in 1963-64:

“In Sharifabad the dogs distinguished clearly between Moslem and Zoroastrian, and were prepared to go … full of hope into a crowded Zoroastrian assembly, or to fall asleep trustfully in a Zoroastrian lane, but would flee as before Satan from a group of Moslem boys …

The evidence points … to Moslem hostility to these animals having been deliberately fostered in the first place in Iran, as a point of opposition to the old (pre-Islamic jihad conquest) faith (i.e., Zoroastrianism) there. Certainly in the Yazdi area … Moslems found a double satisfaction in tormenting dogs, since they were thereby both afflicting an unclean creature and causing distress to the infidel who cherished him. There are grim … stories from the time (i.e., into the latter half of the 19th Century) when the annual poll-tax (jizya) was exacted, of the tax gatherer tying a Zoroastrian and a dog together, and flogging both alternately until the money was somehow forthcoming, or death released them.

I myself was spared any worse sight than that of a young Moslem girl … standing over a litter of two-week old puppies, and suddenly kicking one as hard as she could with her shod foot. The puppy screamed with pain, but at my angry intervention she merely said blankly: “But it’s unclean.”

In Sharifabad I was told by distressed Zoroastrian children of worse things: a litter of puppies cut to pieces with a spade-edge, and a dog’s head laid open with the same implement; and occasionally the air was made hideous with the cries of some tormented animal. Such wanton cruelties on the Moslems’ part added not a little to the tension between the communities.”

The extreme cruelty of the Muslims — even Muslim children — to dogs should not surprise us. Nothing in the behavior of Muslims toward the most helpless of non-Muslims, the Zoroastrian remnant in Yazd, should surprise us, as it did not surprise the learned Mary Boyce.

So the next time you read about Muslim taxi-drivers refusing to pick up passengers with dogs, or about Muslims in the Middle East fiendishly torturing dogs to death, look for the explanation in the conquest by Muslims of the Sasanian Empire, and the desire to distinguish themselves, 1400 years ago, from the “infidels” whom they conquered.

First published in PJ Media.

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26 Responses

  1. This is a sad but educational article.  I have wondered why cats were fine but dogs were abhorred, as I have seen myself – Mohammedan children terrified by the sight of a little dog when we were out at a public garden.

    One theory of why cats are OK but dogs haram that I've heard is that, as a caravan robber, Mohammed disliked the barking of dogs that warned a caravan of his approach. I have also heard that Mohammed's possible epileptic condition could be triggered by the sharp sound of a dog barking.

    Personally, I love dogs and usually don't appreciate persons who dislike them.  A good dog will give its life for a person, and is more accepting and kindly than most people!

  2.   Some experts have been looking for a way to filter out "Islamists" from more benign Muslims in our immigration security screening. They say that dogs can smell fear, so why not train them to sniff out potential Islamists since they will be afraid of dogs. Grrr!

  3. There you have it. Only two kinds of people in the world…dog people and cat people. It figures muslims ae cat people…sneaky, unrealistic sense of self-importance, arrogant, predatory, viscious. IT FITS!!!!

  4. I have witnessed this so many times when I am out with my 2 small dogs, the Muslim children shriek and run and the adults look at you like your the devil and say comments in their own language, I only recently found out why they behave like this, and that at Ramadan any Muslims with a dog takes it to be put down, theirs a horrific picture of hundreds of dead dogs in the road sides at Ramadan time. I don't understand why Mullins come to this country if they detest our ways so much.

  5. And Trump wanting them out of our country is a bad thing? … This article sums up why most Muslims end up burning in the eternal lake of fire. This also proves that becoming a Muslim somehow makes you a legitimate sociopath, which by definition is a person that can not feel any trace of human emotion (especially empathy and decency) towards anyone or anything (in this case dogs). If you live in my country, our country, you play by our rules. Animal cruelity will not be tolerated and you will pay the consequences no matter religion, race, sex, etc. I find this article almost unbelievable, yet on the other hand I know its totally believable because after all its Muslims, a religion that had to fly airplanes into a skyscraper so they could get attention. Yeah I guess I’d hate America too if I was held up in a shanty in the middle of the desert with no air conditioning and nothing to do but listen to horrible “Holy” music all day.

  6. Muslims are beyond awful. Nothing is more important than keeping them in their own country. Trump is definatly right to keep them away from us!!!!!!

  7. I walk two chihuahuas – and am amazed at how a muslim male can become a gibbering idiot, or a female can run away in terror – and drop what she is carrying – what can be done to educate these ignorant people ?????? – this is not good in our country, where just about everyone has a little dog

  8. Muslims are awful people. They are full of conflict and anger towards Americans. They do not fit in our country. Their religion causes problems and conflict. Their worshipping practices are self serving and they will turn on Americans once they are great in numbers. You don’t think so? Just watch. The one thing ding dong trump is doing right is his ban on Muslims. These dirtbags have kicked me off church grounds for having a dog. They think a dog is dirty? I think their minds, their society and their sick little religion is dirty. The way they treat women is dirty. They want to kill and torture dogs for being dirty? The most loyal animal to human kind..mans best friend?! I say eye for an eye..the Muslims should all be removed from the US and treated as they treat dogs. A useless race of crappy people.

  9. Dogs are dangerous animals, as well as they are not clean like eg: a cat that will do it’s business in the litter. It’s a pity that many people where I live walk their dog, worse without a leash, even take them to restaurants, why not a bird or a rabbit? I don’t get it what’s so special in having a dog? If you ask me which animal would you like to take out with you, I would say a bird/parrot, they are fun and can talk, unlike a dog, I don’t think a dog is friendly like a cat or a bird. That’s my opinion, you are free to disagree but do it politely. That’s all what I have to say.

  10. Unlike a cat, a dog prefers to defecate out of the house, not in it, so I don’t see how anyone can consider a cat cleaner than a dog. My friend has a cat and her house has an awful stench of ammonia. Horses for courses, I guess.

  11. It’s sad to see so much hatred from humans for other humans. Some muslims may not love dogs which is, believe it or not, an ANIMAL but people on here are hating on their own race!
    Also, if we’re talking about terrorists, let’s not forget all the white people who love taking their precious guns to schools and shooting at kids! Thumbs up for you! <sarcasm>

  12. It is sad to see aall the hatred in this World. And I have read the history on why Muslim people do not like Dogs n it does not make sense to me. The Prophet Mohammed did not like Dogs said they are unclean. All Animals are clean and probably cleaner than alot of people.pigs are supposedly unclean Animals. Dogs are protectors,loyal compassionate and a man’s best friend. Dogs are very trustworthy but also depends on the owner on how they treat and train their Dogs. I really truly hope and pray that Muslim people will realize what they are doing i wrong and should ber against the law to kill Dogs and something needs be done about this. If Prophet Mohammed was a Prophet of God, Allah then he should of known that killing is a sin and un-godly like I cannot relate to this. My heart goes out to the Animals and to the Muslim people.I am from Canada and I have Muslim Friends but I never knew this about them hating dogs. Also I have another Muslim good friend of mine that loves Dogs and says he doesn’t understand why the others feel this way about Dogs. As wee say u cannot stereotype a race because not all Muslims hate Dogs maybe majority but not all a and I h ope one day they will learn a Dog is not an enemy,unclean or evil but a beautiful loving best friend that no matter what will save your life. Thank you!

  13. I’m a Muslim (Pakistani) and my parents have never taught me to hate dogs or any other animal. I eat halal food and pray so I think a lot of the people here are mislead.

    The reason why the dogs are deemed unclean is because they lick the human. If you guys didn’t know,their saliva contains a lot of Get me and bacteria that carries disease over to their owner and kids alike.

    Just because most of Muslims say that we can’t have dogs in the house doesn’t mean we hate them. We are scared of them when we see them outside is because we are not used to animal. It’s only a normal reaction.

    I actually want a pet dog myself;Shih tzu is the breed. I’m trying to convince my mom to let me have it even though she has a bit of asthma. Wish me luck guys 🙂

  14. The question of cleanliness and the pet dog that is well looked after has been researched and documented more and more particularly recently in a large sample rigorous Australian scientific study. The studies findings completely contradict the negative attitudes many Muslims have on the subject. Children that grow up in a home where there is a pet dog on average have significantly healthier immune systems than children growing up in a household without a pet dog. And this is only one of the measurable health benefits. Dogs are before cats being introduced via pet therapy to old people homes and in particular hospices for children where their close to unconditional love has the capacity to increase quality of the end of their life.

    I feel sorry for Muslim children that dont get to experience the wonderful unconditional love that a well cared for pet dog can bring to family life, dog saliva on your hand and all. The incidence and prevalence of diseases related to animal carried parasites is on average significantly higher in Islamic countries than the west. Evidence is what counts on these topics not rhetoric.

    I am not saying to reject all of Islam when you are born to that faith, none of us chooses the conditions we are born into but if we cannot update our approach to life when we obtain repeated evidence that our prior position was based on ignorance, then what value has religion other than a trap to keep people in ignorance. Perhaps Islam needs a reformation just as Christianity has constantly needed big and small reformations and I suspect that reformation may be taking place, but it is sad that reformations can involve huge amounts of violence at various stages, particularly the beginning, which appears to be the case in other religions too.

  15. So many disgusting US racist, facist, biggots showing their ugly true face here. Disgusting people, from a country built on genocide and founded on slavery. You’ll go the same way as the last facists, get your cyanide capsules ready.

  16. I read that the angel that visited their prophet would not go in with the dog in there. If dogs sense evil, an angel bothered by it should probably not be listened to whether it barked at it or not.

  17. Even if the alleged angel didn’t want to be near his dog, I am against thoughts or acts of hate against the people of that faith. Whatever I think about the religion, the people would be deemed hateful on an individual basis. There are mosques that call for an overthrow of whatever country they’re in and for the shariah law that would be abusive. I also think that, if Trump gets accused of provocative remarks, such mosques or imams who also say should be inferred as provocative talk (if not outright provocation) or don’t criticize those who do should not complain about Trump, but actually be complained about, themselves.

  18. The problem isn’t so much as Muslims as it is people clinging to silly superstitious religious beliefs. All religions have them, though i do believe that Islam is one of the worst, but Christianity is not much better-many Christians have silly bronze age beliefs too.The Christians had a reformation that helped pull them into the modern world-at tremendous cost-Islam certainly needs one too. Though we could be living in the Islamic reformation right now…so much of that part of the world is in a battle between moderate, contemporary forces against militant,reactionary groups and beliefs. It’s sad that so many people are so ignorant because of religion. Dogs are wonderful creatures, as are cats too! They enrich our lives and teach us valuable lessons. I believe all kids should experience the wonders of having and loving a pet.

  19. Dear Ignorant Human Being,

    There is no hatred towards dogs in Islam. I am a Muslima, and I ADORE dogs, had a few myself; I love their protectiveness over their owners and how responsible and loyal they are. I am a huge animal lover, however it is forbidden to keep dogs in our homes as their saliva contains some ‘impurities’, therefore Satan can easily take advantage and use their form (body). It is said that other animals can come in forms of Satan; cats for example are allowed in Islam to keep in homes as they have pure saliva. There’s evidence in this if you look into the anatomy of a Dog’s tongue, as Dogs papillae’s are very fine, cat’s tongues have papillae that appear as sharp knife-like spines. I’m not sure about the ruling of other animals such as rabbits, birds, reptiles as I’m not sure if it is stated in the Qur’an.

    As for animal cruelty, I do think dogs are treated very unfairly in a lot of LEDC countries as well as cats. Majority of these countries being in Asia where many Muslims reside; absolutely understandable. Some people are just cruel, however that does not mean all Muslims mistreat animals.

    P.S – My husband’s Grandmother, who is a Muslim owns a dog but has kept him a comfortable outside house for himself, he is treated amazingly. Muslims can own a dog and Muslims do love dogs.

    All in all, every creation of God is BEAUTIFUL, I love every animal, even bloody ants and spiders. I welcome dogs and adore them, would even kiss/hug them and give them belly rubs – I’ve just got to avoid saliva as much as I love their kisses. If a dog’s saliva touches the skin or your clothes, it is required to wash where the saliva has made contact. Do your research kids; and stay away from unofficial blogs like these! 🙂

  20. I have been faced with a Muslim dog hater in a college course that requires speaking about dogs. The man has said openly that he hates dogs, said negative things about dogs any time anyone in class mentions the word dog, he has discouraged a “mock client” for the class from their stated desire to get a dog. My U.S. fellow students and the teacher have ignored his litany of hatred towards dogs. He threatened to fight me when I told him to keep his anti-dog bias to himself. He has been told by the college to stop saying offensive, hateful things about dogs in class. Now I understand what motivates his hatred. His Muslim religion makes him hate dogs. If I mention this fact to the school I will be accused of being biased against his religion that hates dogs. I am not pro-Trump, I have Muslim co-workers who I am friends with. But open hatred towards dogs should not be tolerated due to misguided thoughts about dogs and their saliva. My dogs have lived long lives in my house as members of my family and have never made me sick. Finding that the majority of Muslims have an anti-dog bias does make me sick to my stomach though. Keep your ancient hatred of dogs to yourselves.

  21. i heard the story too that mohd was almost killed when he raid some enemies camps at night which was guarded by dogs and their barking alerted mohd enemies.

    from then on, that leads to his enormous hatred for dogs and falsify stories about gabriel not wanting to enter house with dogs and been unpure and such.

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