Bo, the new White House dog, has been attracting lots of attention around the country. While there has been some debate about the Obamas getting a purebred rather than a mutt from a shelter, the general opinion is a dog in the White House is a good thing. But there is another perspective about dogs in houses. Our students at Ubah Medical Academy, a charter high school serving children of East African immigrants living in Minnesota, bring the perspective of their culture and their Muslim religion, which does not allow dogs to live at home.  Three students in the UMA journalism class developed questions to survey fellow students about their views. Here are some responses:

 

Hodan:  Even though in my religion we’re not allowed to have a dog as a pet, I still think it’s okay for the Obamas to have a dog in the White House. It’s their choice to bring a dog in their house. If you’re wondering what religion I am, well, I’m Muslim.

 

Neshwan: I think dogs shouldn’t be allowed in the White House if there is a child or person who is allergic to the dog. It might also be bad to have a dog in the house if the dog is very violent. I think there are some people who know that Musims don’t allow dogs in their homes, but there is still a large amount of people who don’t know. That’s why we should tell more people about our religion so that more people know about us and our religion.

 

Maryam: As Muslims, we are not allowed to have dogs except for certain reasons, such as if someone is blind or to guard someone. All of these conditions are allowed. Muslims are to avoid contact as much as possible with dogs. However, Muslims are not to hurt dogs either. As for the Obamas having a dog, it is their decision and we as Muslims are not to interfere.