Amsterdam: More Muslims, less dogs

http://islamineurope.blogspot.com/2007/06/amsterdam-more-muslims-less-dogs.html

Amsterdam: More Muslims, less dogs

The number of registered dogs in Amsterdam had gone down by almost half in the last 33 years. In 1974 there were 36,000, now 19,000.

The growing number of Turks and Moroccans in the city is one of the reasons for the decrease.

"We don't know the exact reason for the decrease, but the change of household types certainly has to do with it," says Jeroen Slot of the city statistical service. He refers by that to the fact that the number of households has grown faster than the number of people.

"Also the number of Turkish and Moroccan households the last 28 years have gone up by 76.4%, and a population growth of 16.5%".

This last population group often doesn't have dogs, especially due to religious convictions. Fahim Deiffenthaler, spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community: "Dogs are meant to guard a farm, as we know by the farmer. That's why Muslims in Amsterdam don't have dogs."

Moreover, the dog, in contrast to the cat, is not considered a clean animal in Islam.

Currently the total registrations is going up. Supposedly illegal owners are frightened of the severe supervision on dog droppings.

Source: Parool (Dutch)


Posted 11:26 AM
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