PAS clerics say Nurul Izzah wrong to back dog-petting event, should ‘repent’
(Malay Mail Online) – PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar should repent for supporting the “liberal” animal awareness campaign that promoted “wrong teachings” of Islam, PAS’s influential council of clerics said.
Citing the Islamict party’s Datuk Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali, Malay broadsheet Utusan Malaysia reported the PAS man saying the “I Want To Touch A Dog” event last Sunday was meant to “liberalise” Islamic laws, and that any Muslim opposition leader who supported it was going against the teachings of Islam.
“Dewan Ulama PAS stresses that any Muslim political leaders who praise or encourage such programmes to repent to Allah and prevent it from becoming a trend for the Muslim community,” Mohd Khairuddin was quoted saying, using the Malay name for the PAS cleric wing.
“The attempt to promote wrong teachings by Muslims themselves through an agenda that is in reality a liberalism agenda aimed at liberalising Islamic laws,” he added.
The statement was reportedly issued in response to Nurul Izzah’’s recent tweet expressing support for the controversial dog-petting event’s organiser, who has come under fire from conservative Muslims.
“@n_izzah: Islam is also about compassion. Congratulations Syed Azmi and those who attend,” the Lembah Pantai MP wrote a day after the event was held.
Syed Azmi Alhabshi was the event organiser.
Joining the chorus of criticism against Syed Azmi, Khairuddin said the event and its supporters were clearly aimed at manipulating Islamic laws to justify validating what is deemed wrong by Islam.
“It is just an excuse to liberalise Islamic practices. Islamic laws is not practiced based on your desires to simplify things but to base it on the strongest opinions of credible ulamas,” he said.
He added that the hadiths have clearly stated that it is “haram” to have dogs unless for animal farming or hunting.
Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has said will conduct a thorough investigation on the organising of the “I Want To Touch A Dog” event that took place at Central Park, One Utama near Petaling Jaya on Sunday.
Jakim director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha said the programme should not have taken place and Jakim regretted the irresponsible attitude of the organisers who were not concerned with the sensitivities of Muslims in the country.
The “I Want to Touch a Dog” event drew nearly 200 volunteers and dog owners and where Malay Muslims were given the opportunity to pet the pooches, an animal that many of them regard as culturally taboo.
Former Perlis Mufti Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, however, disputed claims that touching a dog is “haram”, saying though not encouraged, Islam allows for Muslims to keep the animal for hunting and for protection purposes.
He reasoned that if it is considered “haram” to touch a dog because the animal is deemed unclean, like excrement, it would also be “haram” for Muslims to handle their own excrement or their children’s when cleaning them.
While the hadith says touching unclean things will reduce a Muslim’s “pahala” (reward for good deeds), the Islamic scholar said the act is not stated as a “sin”.
