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Men are not allowed to walk dogs (or cats) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia due to newly passed law
The reason why men aren't allowed to walk dogs or take cats out on a stroll in Riyadh as of Wednesday is because they aren't allowed to buy pets there any more. A hamster, maybe. A goldfish, probably, but not a dog or a cat. If a person has a pet already, the person can keep the pet, just not take it outside. As of Wednesday, the ban went into effect.
According to this AP article, some men, it seems, were using their furry friends as a way to get up close and personal with women and bother families--a big no no in Saudi Arabia. The sexes are to be separate from each other. Dogs and cats are ice breakers for bridging the divide.
As bans go, this one sounds a bit loosey goosey since as of the writing of the article, people didn't know about the ban, including a pet shop owner. The other detail the article pointed out is that it's not often that people walk dogs in Riyadh anyway and when do people really walk cats?
From what the people who were interviewed said, it doesn't sound as if people are planning to follow the ban, just like what happened when there was a ban on cell phones with cameras back in 2004. The fear there was that people of the opposite sex would use the cameras to take pictures of each other. People didn't go along with that ban so it was dropped.
If you are planning on heading to Saudi Arabia, I'd leave the pooch or kitty at home unless you don't mind them having a stay under the care of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the name for the religious police who are doing the pet confiscating.
One thought about this ban is that it's really to control pet ownership which is seen as a Western influence. Dog ownership has not been part of Saudi culture until more recently. Cats, though, have, so it is unclear why they are being picked on.
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Filed under: Arts and Culture, Saudi Arabia, News, Middle East
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 4)
Annie Aug 3rd 2008 12:51PM
Saying that is akin to saying the nazis had a right to live their lives as they see fit and kill millions of people. Any religion that encourages men to kill their wives/sisters/daughters for "disgracing" their family is not a religion, and their leaders need to be destroyed just like the nazi leaders were in WWII!
Simzee Aug 3rd 2008 9:03AM
It goes to show you how men can not control themselves & behave.
John Leonard Aug 3rd 2008 9:05AM
Not too sure which planet Mr Labulay is on but maybe he is unaware the it is those muslim bastards that are exporting terrorism to every place on earth. If they want to live in the stone age have at it but DONT tell me I deserve death if I dont choose follow some stupid ass cult so called leader.
Craig V. Aug 3rd 2008 9:22AM
Arabs and Muslims are nuts. Anyone who would actually believe that Islam is a legitimate religion has not analyzed the conflicts between it and every other religion on Earth. Where as other religions believe in a god that creates, Islam kills, maimes and destroys. Where other religions believe in the Christian commandment of Thou shalt not kill, Islam is nothing but a murderous sham.
If you look at it in the proper light, it is nothing more than a political system wrapped up in the false trappings of a religion, and the tyranny of Islam is as illigitimate as the tyranny of Communism, Socialism, Fascism and all the other 'isms.
Bottom line; any "religion" that approves of beating womens ankles if they show in public is not a religion. It is nothing more that a poor excuse for a bunch of insecure men who are afraid their women would outshine them if educated and allowed to be free.
Annie Aug 3rd 2008 12:48PM
Well said Cragi V.
Craig V. Aug 3rd 2008 9:17PM
Thank You
Mike Aug 3rd 2008 9:26AM
Come over to my neck of the woods you muslim freaks and we'll show you justice, American style...my dogs will eat you clowns for a snack!
Mike Aug 3rd 2008 9:31AM
Grab Obama while you're at it.
Jessy the Cowgirl Aug 3rd 2008 9:31AM
The funny bit in all this is to keep men away from women but if you talk to a Muslim they will tell you how even friskier their men are than our American ones. So I don't think making all these laws of "holiness" are doing any better than the Catholic church's ban of birth control.
ya mama Aug 3rd 2008 9:38AM
I would bet there rates of sexual assualt are even higher then western countries as well as homosexuality.You can't stop people from being what they are people.
erezangel Aug 3rd 2008 9:44AM
this law is gay so stupid they stop selling animals because there are to many of them but to stop walking them out side what the heck are they suppose to do pee in the house... flipping dumb i would never go there to vist and never to live. this place should be destroyed imo...
DKK Aug 3rd 2008 9:45AM
Hey Pierre- where you from? France? Your mother country is being taken over by Islam in case you haven't noticed. Maybe you should be a little more concerned about that and a little less judgmental toward the people here who don't care to live under wacko Muslim rules.
mike mcclaren Aug 3rd 2008 11:35AM
And Obama wants to send these people billions of dollars as opposed to drilling off shore or Alaska. Nice judgement. Congress leaves and goes on vacation with out addressing the oil crisis, I assume they think it is taken care of by Saudi Arabria. They must have time between keeping the sexes apart, and worring about walking dogs and cats. We are giving them all the money in our move to redistribution of wealth, so all they have left to do is worry about the meaningless. I am confused how with this attitude their population continues to grow.
richarmet Aug 3rd 2008 10:05AM
How backward are these people??? I mean really, c'mon... This is a totally oppressive government, I wonder how many of it's people would flee if they could... not even free enough to walk a dog...
Jack Hampus Aug 3rd 2008 10:09AM
Just what planet do these jerks live on?
Angiebaby Aug 3rd 2008 10:15AM
I'm truly surprised the Saudis' were allowed to keep dogs in the first place. Conservative Islamists, who no doubt constitute the law making body in Saudi Arabia, believe dogs to be dirty animals, and disapprove of them anyway. Now, here is one serious issue not addressed in the article... Do Muslim men "clean up" their doggy's poo? I can almost guarantee you they do not. They believe hands are hands; poo is poo, and never the twain shall meet... under any circumstances. Using dogs to flirt with women, leaving poo "calling cards" all over creation, parading pet ownership as a source of pride? I think a lot more went into this pet ban than simply using animals to meet women. And men only? Of course... women aren't allowed outside. While it's true cat's do not need to be walked, I've seen men do some pretty stupid things to meet women.
Bubba Aug 3rd 2008 10:26AM
That is their food. Would you walk a cow?
DR TIM Aug 3rd 2008 10:28AM
The leaders of Saudi Arabia are the biggest hypocrites in the world...not even BUSh is such a phony..but they are freinds...One family, wh gets most of the oil money..its disgraceful. I think the country shol dbe leveled....and made into a parking lot for OUR OIL COMPANIES. There are far to many MOSLEMS in power (and far to many other reglions as well)
Someone whould drop a virius BOMB on them.....nuclear bombs do to much damage.....and why shoudl re ruin all the nice buildings those creeps built....Kill all the people and then turn it into another LAs Vegas.
Joyce Aug 3rd 2008 10:49AM
True, it's their country, and they can do what they like, but they're having a creeping influence in this country too. Did you know some schools have excused time for Muslims to pray, and some schools have installed foot baths for Muslims? One university in California has a time when men are banned from swimming so Muslim women can swim without being seen by men? Also, some Muslim women in Oregon are now trying to get public pools to ban men at certain hours, and have only female life guards. Taxpayers should not have to pay to accomodate any religion.
Amazing Aug 3rd 2008 11:17AM
Somehow I knew this had nothing to do with animal welfare...