Friday, October 06, 2006

Muslim Cabbie Refuses to Take Guide Dog

Last week I reported that Muslim leaders had complained to the police about the use of police dogs while searching a mosque. Well, according to the Daily Mail, it isn't just mosques that dogs are banned from and it isn't just police dogs who are "unclean".

A Muslim taxi driver refused to allow a guide dog into his cab because it is against his religion. Licensing laws insist that he must carry guide dogs, the maximum penalty is to have the license revoked. The driver apparently said that "what had happened to me [the blind victim] wasn't really very important, and I should have more respect for other people's culture".

The driver was fined £1,200, but kept hislicensee, despite stating that he would continue refusing to take guide dogs because of his religion.

And just as if this couldn't get any worse, the cab company is contracted by the BBC to carry guests and it was after an appearance on News 24 that the incidentoccurredd.