Questions have been raised over using sniffer dogs to search Muslim passengers at train stations following complaints that it is against their religion.
Some Muslims had raised objections over being searched by the explosive-detecting animals, but British Transport Police have said they will continue to use the specially trained animals.
Dogs are considered to be unclean or impure in Islamic teaching and it is forbidden to keep the animals as pets.
The complaints came after a rail security trial at Brighton station, the Government revealed.
The Muslims reported that it was not permissible for them to have direct contact with dogs due to their religious or cultural beliefs.
In another trial on the Heathrow Express platform at London's Paddington station, there were instances when the body scan was considered unacceptable on religious grounds by female Muslims, the Government report said.
The report - on five rail security trials conducted in 2006 and the public's response to them - also showed:
• Some Asians and black people felt they could be selected for tests because of their ethnicity "or because their appearance fell in line with screening staff perceptions of a terrorist".
• Being selected for screening was an "embarrassment for Asian respondents in particular". Read more ...
Some Muslims had raised objections over being searched by the explosive-detecting animals, but British Transport Police have said they will continue to use the specially trained animals.
Dogs are considered to be unclean or impure in Islamic teaching and it is forbidden to keep the animals as pets.
The complaints came after a rail security trial at Brighton station, the Government revealed.
The Muslims reported that it was not permissible for them to have direct contact with dogs due to their religious or cultural beliefs.
In another trial on the Heathrow Express platform at London's Paddington station, there were instances when the body scan was considered unacceptable on religious grounds by female Muslims, the Government report said.
The report - on five rail security trials conducted in 2006 and the public's response to them - also showed:
• Some Asians and black people felt they could be selected for tests because of their ethnicity "or because their appearance fell in line with screening staff perceptions of a terrorist".
• Being selected for screening was an "embarrassment for Asian respondents in particular". Read more ...
Source: Daily Mail
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