Aidilfitri dog video an insult to Islam, Jakim decides

(The Malay Mail) – The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has weighed in on the storm over the Aidilfitri dog video and decided it was insult to Islam, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom confirmed today.

The minister in charge of religious affairs said in light of Jakim’s decision, he had directed the department to present its views to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for further action, Malay language daily Berita Harian reported on its website today.

The Communications and Multimedia Ministry had yesterday directed the MCMC to consult with Jakim in its probe on the video, saying this was because the matter involves religious sensitivities.

“The issue raised here could be very sensitive to a majority of our citizens… we must see the background and get views of religious experts because I understand there are several differing views,” minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek told reporters at a function yesterday.

The minister acknowledged that the video was created three years ago but pointed out that once any content is published online it would continue to remain accessible to Internet users.

“The essential and most important part in this case is to investigate the individual’s real intention whether she intends to state her background as an animal trainer or to insult the Muslim religion and such,” he said.

He said that should Jakim deem the video an insult to Islam, the MCMC would then proceed with its probe.

In the 105-second video reposted on YouTube on Tuesday, dog trainer Maznah Mohd Yusof is seen walking and bathing her three dogs as the “Takbir Raya”, or Muslim call to prayer traditionally reserved for the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, plays in the background.

The juxtaposition appeared to be a reference to the wudhu, or ablution performed by Muslims before prayer; dogs are also considered unclean by adherents of the predominant faith in Malaysia.

Maznah has since been arrested and was released from remand in Johor earlier this afternoon on a court bond.

According to her lawyer N. Surendran, the dog trainer has also been questioned by the MCMC.

She is being investigated for “uttering words, etc, with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person” under section 298A of the Penal Code and section 4 of the Sedition Act.

If convicted, Maznah, famously known as Chetz Yusof, could face a jail term of up to one year or a fine, or both.

After the video started making its rounds on the Internet, local news site Mynewshub.com quoted Chetz as saying that she made the video in 2010 to show that dogs are not “haram” (forbidden) as widely-believed, and that Muslims could keep canines as pets.

“Dogs are not ‘haram’; if they are wet, just ‘samak’,” she was quoted as saying.

“Samak” is the ritual cleansing performed by Muslims when they come into contact with items considered ritually unclean, of which wet dogs are considered to be by some followers of the faith.

Maznah had also told news site Free Malaysia Today in a 2011 interview that she follows the Shafie school of thought in Islam that does not deem dogs as “haram”, but merely requires believers to cleanse themselves after touching a wet dog.

Maznah’s arrest comes after sex bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee were charged recently under the Penal Code and Sedition Act, for posting a mock “Selamat Berbuka Puasa” (breaking of fast) greeting on their Facebook page that showed them eating “bak kut teh”, a soupy pork dish. Muslims are prohibited from eating pork.