There is one important news in United Kingdom at the time (again) made me wonder about the religion, faith and tolerance.
The issue is about an advertisement for a postcard for a phone number is not emergency police. The postcard includes a puppy black playing with a police hat. The postcard dealers had strong resistance from Muslim traders who refused to put the poster in their window. His argument is that the Prophet Muhammad stated dogs (and especially black dogs as the advertising) to be impure animals which need to be killed. They feel that placing the postcard in their shop Windows would be against the Quran (Holy Book used by the faith of Islam).
The response of the police was to apologize for causing offense to Muslims. I found strange, because surely all-purpose recognize diversity cuts both ways? If Muslims want recognition for their practices and unique beliefs, surely must they also recognize the unique beliefs and practices of those around them? It isn't the point of recognizing diversity? I do not think that the solution is to apologize and withdraw the postcard. Not would have it been more appropriate to keep the postcard for those audiences that may be associated with him and also have an independent postal can associate Muslims?
I'm not an expert on Islam and decided to read about this issue with dogs. From a Web site that addresses the issues that the Prophet Muhammad had with dogs, it seems that there is no statement in the Quran about dogs. Statements Mohammed apparently done on dogs listed in Hadith (oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet).
It seems that Mohammed had a bad experience with a black dog, and as a result expressed his dislike of dogs and especially black. She was then accepted as gospel together with the Qur'an because it was attributed to Mohammed.
If this is the case and Mohammed had a bad experience with sparrows, then sparrows would have probably been unclean animals in Islam.
It made me think of a story about a woman who always cut fish in half when she cooks for her family. One day she scolded his daughter to put a whole fish in the pot, and challenged him to his daughter. The woman said that her grandmother had always cut the fish in half, and he was right. The daughter then questioned his grandmother about this habit, and the grandmother said I "I really cannot recall." "Perhaps was the pot too small?"
People don't think in what is said to believe, especially when it comes to religion. Only accept everything at face value.
An Islamic scholar in Canada gave guidelines Muslims owning dogs. This is allowed, but clearly only when the dogs are regarded as working animals, including the work of the police. Even if the fact that the man is an Islamic scholar is removed from the response, advice makes complete sense in terms of hygiene and domestic animals. This does not mean that I do not like dogs. Really like dogs and cats - please do not send the RSPCA called at my door!
If the people of diversity and the police had done their homework, he would have been able to report first and then also Muslim traders on the real problem with dogs in Islam and about what the Koran really says (or in this case not to say) about dogs. They would have then been able to provide acceptable alternative postcards and also educate the public about the consequences of having dogs as pets. Instead he offered apologies for the wrong reasons and biodiversity has not really been able to recognize.
I wondered: what is misunderstood under the guise of Islam and the Koran, simply because people choose to believe every word that someone says without questioning it?
And it is not exclusive of any particular faith this believing without question. I have had people I deal with because I believe in reincarnation. I was told that I have to make my peace with Jesus who died for my sins (i.e., it gave me a license to be imprudent because he will take the consequences in my name and I get off the hook?) for more than two thousand years.
My question is: If the reincarnation does not exist because it is not described in the Bible, where Jesus is hidden during the last two thousand years? Where he will return to come and "save me" from my own actions?
God gave us the mind to explore and collect information, so we can make our own decisions. We will honor God and use our minds.
Elsabe Smit is the coach of intuition. She helps people who lack vision, clarity and purpose remove blocks, develop your intuition and its objectives. What is consuming its energy? Visit http://www.TheIntuitionCoach.com for a free new start Quiz.