[nagdu] Muslims eject guide dogs from buses: Guide dog row

[Toni Eames]

>>Muslims eject guide dogs from buses:  Guide dog row
>>
>>The Sunday Times (London)
>>July 18, 2010
>>
>>Marie Woolf
>>
>>
>>THE transport minister has intervened to stop guide dogs and their blind
>>owners from being ordered off buses because Muslim drivers or passengers
>>consider the animals unclean.
>>
>>The refusal, for religious reasons, to carry even guide dogs has become so
>>widespread that it was raised in the House of Lords last week by Lord
>>Monson, a crossbench peer.
>>
>>Last night Norman Baker, the transport minister, signalled to bus companies
>>that a religious objection was not a reason to eject a passenger with a
>>well-behaved dog.
>>
>>"If dogs are causing a nuisance, a driver has every right to ask the owner
>>to leave," he said. "It is much more questionable to be asked to remove a
>>dog for religious reasons. One person's freedom is someone else's
>>restriction."
>>
>>The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association said that, although refusing to
>>take a blind person with a dog in a bus or taxi was illegal under disability
>>discrimination law, it received constant complaints from members.
>>
>>There had been so many reports from blind people with guide dogs who had
>>been thrown off buses or refused a ride by cab drivers that it had held
>>talks with Islamic organisations about the problem. The Muslim Council of
>>Britain yesterday urged Muslims to show tolerance and common sense. "We need
>>to be flexible on this," said a spokesman. "Muslim drivers should have no
>>hesitation in allowing guide dogs into their bus or car.
>>
>>"Some schools of Islam regard the saliva of dogs as impure and others think
>>there is no problem. If a dog does lick you, it's not the end of the world.
>>Just go home and wash yourself."
>>
>>George Herridge, 73, a blind former NHS maintenance manager, was told to get
>>off two buses in Reading last year after Muslim passengers objected to his
>>guide dog, a labrador called Andy.
>>
>>"I was on the bus and a woman with two children didn't like the dog. The
>>driver asked me to get off.
>>
>>"A few months previously I was coming home on the bus and there were some
>>children screaming," he said. "They were Muslims. The driver pulled over and
>>told me to get off. Where I live is a lengthy walk into town. We have no
>>other means of transport."
>>
>>The National Federation of the Blind said that the problem was common and
>>"getting worse".
>>
>>Its spokeswoman, Jill Allen-King, said she had been left on the kerb
>>repeatedly after Muslim taxi drivers had refused to take her and her guide
>>dog. She said there had been problems with Muslim bus drivers too.
>>
>>Allen-King said: "Last year, a Muslim taxi driver went mad when I tried to
>>get in with my dog. He said, 'I have to go home now and wash myself.'" Chris
>>Laurence, veterinary director of the Dogs Trust, said: "If people have
>>religious reservations that prevent them being anywhere near a dog, it is up
>>to them to move."
>>
>>Drivers have discretion to refuse to carry non-disabled passengers with
>>dogs.