Posted on 07/02/2008 5:01:06 PM PDT by forkinsocket
CLAIMS THAT a promotional police postcard featuring a puppy is offensive to members of the Islamic community have been dismissed by one of Dundee’s leading Muslims.
A storm of controversy erupted yesterday after a report in The Courier revealed that some members of the Islamic community have complained about the postcard.
Dundee councillor Mohammed Asif claimed the postcard, advertising Tayside Police’s new non-emergency telephone number, could offend some Muslims because it features a black German shepherd dog sitting in a police officer’s hat.
It is understood some Muslims have been upset by the image because in Islam dogs are generally considered unclean and cannot be kept as pets— although they can be kept as guard dogs or for hunting.
The postcards, which were produced in late spring, have been distributed to homes and businesses across Dundee to raise awareness of the telephone number.
Tayside Police has since apologised for failing to run the seemingly innocuous ad by their diversity advisers after Councillor Asif raised the issue at a meeting of the Tayside joint police board.
But Mr Asif’s comments have won little support among the public or Dundee’s Islamic community.
Last night Mahmud Sarwar, trustee of the Scottish Islamic and Cultural Centre and the Dura Street mosque, appealed for calm.
He said he had no problems with the postcard and called on homeowners and local businesses to display them as it is in the public interest.
“I’ve not heard anything about that from members of the community,” Mr Sarwar said.
“I was round some shops today and at the mosque and nobody has said anything about it.”
Mr Sarwar said that religious sensitivities would prevent him from displaying the postcard on a building of religious significance but there was nothing to stop them being displayed in shops.
“There is not a dog—it is just a picture,” he said.
Mr Sarwar also queried whether the concerns raised by Councillor Asif belonged to him or his constituents.
“Maybe that is his own thinking—everyone has the right to say things regarding their own wishes,” he said.
The controversy erupted when Councillor Asif said he was concerned the cards would not be welcomed in all communities and had been a waste of police resources.
The issue has generated intense interest from people across the region and beyond, many of whom contacted The Courier to express their point of view.
One concerned resident said, “The story mentioned that Muslim-owned shops and convenience stores were rejecting the card due to the fact that it had a picture of a puppy on it and that Muslims found this offensive as they deem dogs to be ‘unclean.’
“Surely these cannot be the same Muslim-owned shops which have dog food cans and packets on the shelves and bacon and pork sausages in the chill cabinet with the pictures of happy pups and contented porkers beaming from the packaging?”
A resident from Wolseley Street, Dundee, said, “I have always endeavoured to be considerate to others regardless of race, colour, creed, etc.
“However I am amazed at the reaction Mohammed Asif expresses.
“Many of the shops he mentions—if not all—sell dog food, complete with graphic labels. Should they not wish for whatever reason to support an initiative by our local police, so be it.”
Steve Ross, of Fleming Gardens, said, “Tayside Police may be forced to spend valuable funds on changing the postcard they have produced to advertise their new non-emergency phone number because a certain section of the community consider a dog to be dirty—just let’s get on with our lives and preserve British culture.
“As a cat owner I don’t care too much for dogs but I do about the spending of what I assume to be public money to pacify a few.”
After reading about it on The Courier website, Eileen McInally, from Santa Monica, California, was prompted to write, “This story is absolutely unbelievable—what wrong have the police done?
“How can anyone find an image of a dog offensive? Absolutely no apology is necessary.
“The complainers should be reminded that Britain is a Christian country, full of people who love dogs.”
Cheers, an off-licence on Campfield Square, Broughty Ferry, which is owned and operated by Muslims, has not been given the postcards to display or distribute.
Shop assistant Irza Saeed said, however, Cheers would be happy to have the postcards featuring police-dog-in-training Rebel and advertising the new contact number for non-emergency calls to the police.
“We have a lot of customers of different cultures and religions but we are owned by Muslims and the workers are Muslim,” Miss Saeed said.
“I don’t feel that I’d be especially concerned or upset if we were given the postcards to distribute or that there would be anything wrong with that. However, it is part of Islam that we don’t have dogs around us.
“Most of our people are afraid of dogs but we try not to make a big deal of it.”
German shepherd Rebel has generally proved a popular recruit for the force, with huge numbers of people reading his online training diary on the Tayside Police website. He is yet to mention the current furore online.
A police spokesman said last night, “Rebel only features in this particular campaign.
“Rebel has proved extremely popular with the public in Tayside, Scotland, throughout the UK and abroad.
“The force will continue to keep the public up to date with his progress through the Puppy Diary on the force website.”
When asked if the controversy would affect the way Tayside Police promoted its public image in future the spokesman said, “As we have already stated, it was an oversight on this occasion that the diversity adviser was not consulted.
“The postcards and posters are already in circulation and there are no plans to have them withdrawn.
“However, we already had alternative designs and are looking at the possibility of making those available for anyone who deems the current design to be unsuitable.”
The Courier tried to contact Mr Asif last night but he was unavailable for comment.
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/Apology-on-the-cards-as.4243889.jp
I am willing to bet that not a single person of Highland descent is Muslim - all the moon-god worshippers are Moorish invaders.
Just freakin’ insane! ! !
Why don’t they just apologize first, generally, for anything, ahead-of-time, just to save time and expenses.
Then they should go ahead a do what makes sense.
I did enjoy the report that most ordinary Moslems did not mind the sign, and showed much more common sense than the politician. So is it always, and so may it be!
How can we take seriously a cult which believes that dogs are unclean, when dog saliva has anti-biotic properties, and is cleaner than human saliva? Better to be bitten by a non-rabid dog, than by a rabid, sectarian human.
He’s called “Rebel” ow!
How insensitive.
Diversity advisers????? Let me guess - hiring diversity advisers is an integral way in which an organization's diversity quota is reached. And when it comes time to make staff cuts do to budget constraints, getting rid of the diversity advisers would be a 'hate crime', and the government opts to lay off cops.
Heck! In Korea that would be a Menu!
Better looking animal then most islamist extremist.
“As we have already stated, it was an oversight on this occasion that the diversity adviser was not consulted.”
Oh, brother, I guess when you’re in dhimmi mode, it’s just about impossible to pull out of it. No matter how asinine the complaint might be, the Brits seemed programmed to pander and grovel before the Moslems.
That was one of my personal favorites. What exactly is an observant Muslim doing at a fast-food place that sells bacon burgers, anyway?
The people in question may be Pakistani or some other non-Middle Eastern ethnicity, but many Muslims have adopted Middle East culture via Arabs.
Dogs are unclean & not fit for being inside the house in Middle Eastern culture. They are fine to use as working dogs or any use outside the house. Some people don’t care & keep them as pets anyway. Black dogs & cats are dangerous & some people are afraid to chase them or throw stones at them. Being outraged at the picture of a dog is not normal & just a way to keep the Europeans on their toes.
(Previous post of mine in another thread.)
The Religion of Pieces...at it again. They have no problem distributing videos of beheadings, stonings, forced amputations, and beatings. But a picture of a dog???? Allah forbid!
Islam is a cancer on humanity; it has been at war with civilization for over 1400 years. We are now in the latest escalation of that war. It’s a war we MUST win.
Hmmm.
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