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Thursday, October 23, 2014

Dog event seen as ridiculing culture of Muslims

Academician calls for more religious sensitivity before organising events for the public.
i want to touch a dogKUALA LUMPUR: To love, respect and to have compassion towards all animals, including dogs and pigs which are considered ‘najis’ (unclean) in Islam, are part of Islamic moral values and approach to morality.
But, is it fair to hold an event, in which the participants unnecessarily touch such an unclean animal, merely to foster love and compassion, as well as to eliminate fear towards the animal to the extent of going against the principles of Islam?
This was the question posed by the International Islamic University Malaysia’s (IIUM) Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC) Dean Prof Datuk Dr Mahmood Zuhdi Abd Majid.
He said any proposal to organise an event that would touch on some aspects of certain religions should be thoroughly scrutinised first, not only in terms of the sensitivities of the followers, but also in terms of cultural perspectives that could trigger confusion within the society.
He said the society of any religion and race should be more sensitive as the organising of such an event would only bring about negative impacts, including disuniting the society itself.
“The organising of the “I Want to Touch a Dog” event, for example, had put the Muslim community and the Malays in a quandary.
“Not only in terms of Islamic law, but, if we look at it from the cultural perspective, dogs and pigs are aliens and the most disliked animals to the Malays.
“This culture has been set into their minds since they were young and the organising of an event like this is like ridiculing the culture which they hold on to for so long,” he told Bernama.
The event, which was held at the Central Park in Bandar Utama last Sunday with the initial objective to provide an understanding of the Islamic principles concerning dogs, was widely criticised when Muslims were allowed to touch and play with dogs brought to the event by non-Muslims.
“What is the relevance of the event if it only caused confusion and disharmony among Muslims? The organisers and those who approved the event should have been more careful. This is where Islamic scholars should play their roles,” he said.
As such, Mahmood Zuhdi said Islamic scholars should reevaluate their roles to reach out to Muslims at the earliest stage possible to ensure that young Muslims would not be easily influenced by elements out to confuse them.
“It is hoped that Islamic scholars are not merely firm at saying no according to edict and law, but must also try to reach out and provide necessary explanations,” he said.
Meanwhile, Muafakat Sejahtera Masyarakat Malaysia (Muafakat) president Ismail Mina Ahmad said the event reflected a leaning towards a combination of liberalism and Wahabi ideology, which contravened the Sunnah Wal Jamaah practiced in Malaysia.
“Such an event shouldn’t have been held, it’s like a provocation to disunite Muslims in Malaysia,” he said.
He also expressed concern that if no action was taken, such an event that could divert the faith of Muslims, would continue to emerge with worse implications.
“As such, I hope the authorities will immediately investigate and correct the mindsets of the organisers so that the organising of such events will not recur,” he added. – BERNAMA

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