Mosque cats

[bluecat*dancing]

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/01/20/turkish-imam-opens-mosque-doors-stray-cats

Imam Mustafa Efe has become an internet sensation for his welcoming attitude to the stray cats of Istanbul.

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The Turkish capital is known for the many stray felines that prowl its streets, earning the nickname ‘Catstantinople’ amongst many visitors.

While many of these street cats are shown affection by locals who leave out food or cushions for them to sleep on, Imam Efe has taken it a step further, throwing open the doors of Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Mosque and welcoming them in with open arms

Located in the ancient Üsküdar district, the mosque acts as a shelter for the cats against the harsh Turkish winter, which frequently sees temperatures drop below zero.

The cats seem to have made themselves quite at home in the mosque, frequently curling up for a nap on the carpet amid the mosque’s worshippers.

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Ahmad Malas, Director of the Lebanese Muslim Association, which oversees Sydney’s Lakemba Mosque, says that “if cats come to the mosque, home, or to any individual, Muslims are obliged to be kind, feed and ensure no harm comes to them like any other animal that may come their way.”

Now that Imam Efe has taken to social media to share photos of his furry friends, he has become something of an internet celebrity as the images are shared far and wide.

One of his most popular posts is a video depicting a special “guest” – a mother cat who is shown carrying her litter of kittens inside the mosque, one by one to keep them safe.

[bluecat*dancing]

[lionrose.7]

That is so beautiful, I hope he gets them all fixed with the vet,

[zanadoo_56]

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@bluecat*poledancing wrote:

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I read somewhere that mosques are segregated with separate praying areas for men and women.  From that photo clearly it doesn't apply to cats.

I once lived near a convent where one of the nuns used to feed the stray cats in the area.  The other sisters weren't so keen.

[ecar3483 · Accepted solution]

I like this story.

[ecar3483]

A quote from the Bible (KJV) Genesis 1:26 - 28.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

As I understand it, this passage speaks of God saying to His creation, man, that He is giving him responsibility for (stewardship / dominion), and to, the animals of the World.

[ecar3483]

It could be that he's a kind hearted man, it could be that his Beliefs guide him to be compasionate and kind towards animals.

Either way, what he does is a good thing. How a society treats animals says much of that society.