LIL' BUDDY'S BLOG: Saudi Arabia Bans Us Dogs & Cats in Public, Because We're "Chick Magnets!"
THE CHICAGO IL REAL ESTATE MARKET, AND OTHER THINGS CHICAGO, FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF A LITTLE WHITE DOG!
Boy, am I glad to be a Lil' Dog living here in Chicago, rather than in some other part of the planet. Here in Chicago, we have dedicated Dog Parks. Dog-Friendly Beaches and Hotels. Even a few Dog Friendly Restaurants (those with outdoor seating, of course.)
Not so in Saudi Arabia, and their capital, Riyadh!
In that part of the world, Saudi Arabia's Islamic Religious Police fear that a single male walking a cute dog or cat in private might actually cause inappropriate public advances on women by men. In their strong desire to keep the sexes apart for religious reasons, they fear we cute little dogs will become true "Chick Magnets," I guess.
The proposed solution in the Saudi capital - ban dogs and cats as domestic pets, as well as the practice of walking them in public! How drastic is this?
Officials say they will strictly enforce the ban, which went into effect last week in Riyadh. Similar bans, imposed earlier in the Saudi cities of Mecca and Jiddah, have been largely ignored.
Dogs or cats found outside being walked, in violation of the new law?
They will be confiscated by agents of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the official name of the religious police, who are responsible for Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic code. The commission's general manager, Othman al-Othman, said the ban was ordered because of what he called "the rising of phenomenon of men using cats and dogs to make passes at women and pester families" as well as "violating proper behavior in public squares and malls."
"If a man is caught with a pet, the pet will be immediately confiscated and the man will be forced to sign a document pledging not to repeat the act," al-Othman told the Al-Hayat newspaper. "If he does, he will be referred to authorities." The ban does not address women. Nor has it spread to other areas of the Saudi kingdom, outside the capital.
So far, its hard to determine if the ban in the Saudi capital is having any effect. Walking dogs or cats in public is extremely rare in the Arab world, where dogs are considered unclean and dangerous. Dogs are considered pests in large cities throughout the Middle East, unless they are used for hunting or guarding property or humans.
Some feel the ban in Riyadh may be an attempt to curb pet ownership in general, which conservative Saudis consider a "corrupting Western influence."
Hey - what did I ever do to anyone - except give them loving, and lick their ears? As an often-outspoken Lil' White Dog - I cry foul!
And I guess I'll be staying around Chicago, where the humans are far friendlier, for a long, long time!
Read the AP Story via Gadzoo.com by Donna Abu-Nasr for more info.
YOUR ACE REPORTER ON FOUR PAWS,
BUDDY HOLLY MOSS & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
