Muslims cabbies banning guide dog, Part 2
posted in Current Affairs, General, deaf culture |This issue will not disappear. Only a matter of finding just one sympathic city that will allow Muslim taxi drivers to ban assistance dogs. And if one city allows, then it goes to follow that other cities will have to deal with this issue as well.
This is now a “human rights” issue in Vancouver B.C. in Canada:
Tribunal to rule on guide dog vs. religion
A case potentially pitting rights of the disabled against religious beliefs will be heard by the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal after a blind man from the North Shore who uses a guide dog to get around launched a complaint against North Shore Taxi.
Bruce Gilmour filed the complaint after a cab driver from North Shore Taxi refused to let his guide dog into the cab in January of this year. Gilmour, who says it’s not the first time he’s been refused service by a taxicab, is complaining that North Shore taxi discriminated against him on the basis of physical disability.
But the taxi driver, Behzad Saidy, is arguing his Muslim religious beliefs will not allow him to take dogs in his taxi, because Muslims can’t associate with dogs.
This issue can also affect deaf individuals with hearing dogs. Stand up for your rights!
Like I said before, if you can’t accept all passengers, you are perfectly free to find another line of employment.