Exceptions To Religious Rules

Seventeen-year old Mohamed Khatria, from Leicester, lost his sight in 2005. He uses a guide dog, Vargo, to get around, but, because dogs are regarded as unclean in Islam, he cannot take her into the Al Falah Mosque. This means that Khatria can’t attend the Mosque himself, so he has now requested the imams (religious leaders) at the Mosque to review this rule. They have agreed, and they hope that this will set a national example.

Ibrahim Mogra, a senior imam at the Muslim Council of Britain, emphasised that Vargo would not be allowed into the mosque’s prayer hall and Mr Kharia would be expected to wash before praying.

He admitted that some Muslims may find the idea difficult to accept, so the MCB are taking time and care to consult scholars in the UK and abroad. They are hoping to get written acceptance of this exception, so that any individual who feels uneasy about it can be assured.

Personally, I am very happy to hear that this exception will be made. I am a Muslim and proud of this, but before that, I am a person with a DisAbility. So I strongly believe that no one has any right to stop anyone going anywhere because of anything to do with their DisAbility. By not accepting Mohamed Khatria’s guide dog, these imams are preventing him, and other blind people, from safely entering their Mosque. 

An employer or head teacher who did this would be accused of breaking the Disability Discrimination Act. I’m not saying that imams should be accused of this, or that every Muslim should celebrate this exception. All I am saying is that this is the 21st century, the year 2008. Guide dogs, like wheelchairs, are a fact of life in England today. If wheelchair users can be pushed to the synagogue on the Sabbath, then I, personally, don’t see why guide dogs can’t be allowed into Mosques. You may not agree, and that’s fine. But before you make up your mind, here’s something to consider. If you feel   uncomfortable praying with a dog, you will, in these cases,  be making a fellow Muslim feel uncomfortable while he is praying. Last I checked, that was a far worse crime than praying with a dog.