Why I Want to Touch a Dog Campaign is wrong?!

Right.. ok.. *deep breath*.. Where should we begin this discussion? It is sickening indeed. What kind of Muslim would want to touch something as dirty as a dog? Both the dog and the pig are haram in the views of Muslims, and are to be avoided at all costs. The Quran is clear on this. The hadiths are clear on this. Mazhab Syafie'e is clear on this. The mufti is clear on this. Malaysia, as an Islamic country is clear on this - dogs and pigs are haram - to touch, to handle, to consume. 

Lemme just share with you how disgusting the event was and some of the views on the #IWantToTouchADog event. 

Translation : Does anyone know these so-called 'Muslimah' with their head scarves? They looked so proud when their mothers become dogs. What a devout Muslimah they are hugging and kissing their mom's who turned into dogs. Truly a dog's daughter.
p/s: Feel free to replace the words 'dogs' with 'bitches'. 

Disgusting photos taken during the event: 

*none of these photos are mine

**if you believe these photos are yours, lemme know in the comments or email so I can credit you.

This is what we, Muslims of Malaysia, were taught from young. Touching dogs and pigs is haram. Consuming any parts that comes from or has come into contact with dogs and pigs is haram. Using or wearing any materials that comes from or has come into contact with dogs or pigs is haram. Essentially, anything to do with dogs and pigs are haram - yes, that includes toys and plushes, no matter how cute or lifeless they are. Even saying the word 'pig' or in Malay 'babi' is taboo, except if used to humiliate another person. 

From this teaching and upbringing, watching how our parents and elders squirm at the sight of a mutt eyeing for food at hawker stalls, eventually throwing stones at the dirty creature to shoo it away. That's where we eventually learn to hate the dogs. Pigs, however, were saved from such a treatment because that are usually kept in farms out of the way of skins afraid of sinning. Dogs were thrown stones at, hit with a stick, yelled and shooed away because they are haram. This is just as bad as the next person tying a cat to a tree and turning the poor thing into a punching bag. Yet here in Malaysia, cat abuse causes an uproar, while dog abuse gets turned a blind eye. 

Perhaps this is the motivation of one, Syed Azmi Alhabshi to organise one short morning from 8 to 10 at Central Park, One Utama, Kuala Lumpur an event called "I Want to Touch a Dog" awareness campaign. As many as 800 people reportedly turned up for that event, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, from the inquisitive and curious to dedicated dog owners. The said event was organised through Facebook, and attendees were encouraged to wear colours to denote interest - yellow for want to pet a dog, orange for just to watch, and red for dog owners. 

Muslim's view of dogs
I am not writing to dispute the Muslim laws on dogs - be it touching, petting, keeping one as pet, keeping one as hunting animal, wearing it's fur and etc. I am not even going to post verses of the Quran's and hadiths of the matter. Reason being, as a Muslim, you may consult the ustaz and Muslim scholars of your choice on the different views on dogs and Muslim laws pertaining them. If you are not a Muslim but are curious to know, then do also consult a Muslim scholar. A first hand view and interactive discussion is more helpful on the matter compared to a blog post. 

I am here, as a Muslim, in my capacity as a blogger, to educate my readers that animal cruelty is animal cruelty - be it onto a cat, a dog, a deer or a mouse! Let it be known that although reports of animal cruelty rarely made it to the 8 pm prime time news, it is there. Cutting off limbs of an animal is cruelty, and so is throwing stones at an animal. Dogs are no exception. The Muslim's view on this is also clear. 

So what is the issue?
The organiser of the campain, Syed Azmi, said and I quote "This is just a baby step for us. I don't know whether people will now understand not to throw stones at dogs, but we want people to know that if they are not knowledgeable or are curious about things, they should just ask. If we ask nicely, people will respond," when asked regarding the campaign. 

Ustaz Mohd Iqbal Parjin, a Muslim religious teacher was also present give a talk on the touching of dogs in Islam. He said, "Dogs are also God's creatures. We need to overcome the mentality of seeing the animal as an offensive creature. Teach the young to love others but at the same time know the limit of touching one." 

Clearly, this is not a 'move' to confuse the faith of Malaysian Muslim community. It is not, as I understood, an attempt to disrupt peace and harmony among the Muslims and non-Muslims. It is not an irresponsible action that disregards the sensitivity of the Muslim community in Malaysia. It is not a subtle attempt to liberalise Islam in Malaysia. This is a classic case of Malaysian'd reading far too deep between the lines and too sensitive to an alternative way of raising awareness. 

It is an awareness campaign - one that aims to bridge a cultural gap that is so glaringly so but masked in ways that touching the issue is deemed racism. To me, as should to everyone, it stands on par with the leagues of HIV and AIDS awareness campaign, on par with dengue and aedes mosquito awareness campaign. It is an awareness campaign, aiming to teach everyone that the dog is not an offensive creature - haram as it may be to Muslims. 

At first, just like any other issues that involves religion especially here in Malaysia, I wanted to brush it off and choose to be ignorant. However, seeing the negative reaction of the general Muslim community towards the event, and dissing the organiser and the Muslims who attended as defying the God's law, viewing it as an insult to the Muslim scholars etc. Just because the organiser chose to organise the said event to promote love towards the creature makes him less of a Muslim than you and I? Does him, the organiser, choosing to do what he did, gave you the merit of condemning him? Is that a greenlight for you, as a Muslim, to curse him, to use crude and uncivilised words to tell him that what he did is wrong? Put that into perspective and see now if you're more of a Muslim than the next person, if that's where you're going with this issue. 

Put yourself in his shoes. Perhaps he is one with such compassion without much regards of race, religion and even transcends creatures. Perhaps one too many times he saw cruelty to dogs, be it being beaten or thrown stones at. Perhaps he has a non-Muslim friend who has a dog, and the rest of his Muslim friends refuses to visit this non-Muslim's friend's house because they are scared of the dog.  

Come closer to my hometown here in Sarawak, and our neighbouring country Sabah, and you will find a mix and myriad of races and religions in one single family. The mom and dad are Christian, two of their children converted to Muslims and married their respective Muslim spouse, the other son marries a Hindu girl, and the other daughter marries a Buddhist man. What if the Muslim children were brought up with the current mentality? If the grandparents has a dog, they will not be able to visit because they house a dirty creature. Is there no need to bridge this gap? Would the family be torn apart by default, and because of religion and beliefs that is supposed to promote love and understanding? 

I am not here to debate and dispute on who is more Muslim than whom. Just the fact that the Muslim community reacted negatively towards an awareness event says a lot about our mentality. Islam is said to never change - it is our mentality towards it and how we, as Muslims, present it, that needs to change and adapt to the rest of the world. The point here is, if you don't agree with something, suggest a different way of doing it. More importantly, be nice about it. 

I'd like to end my post with something a friend posted recently on Facebook regarding the issue - 

Translation: There are already so much problems that tear us apart. Add to that the program "I want to touch a dog" which to me brings more bad than good. I have nothing against dogs, but because of that program we argue, we humiliate each other. There is no benefit for us whether we choose to support or condemn the event. Other people has one eye on us. This happens far to often.

In summary, the cause does not justify the means. The organiser had good intention to promote educate the public that dogs are not an offensive creature even in the Muslim's point of view, only we are to limit our interaction with it. The approach, however, was responded with prejudice. Stop the blame. Just as you cannot change what I choose to say, I cannot change what you choose to say. Just leave them in the comments. I can, however, change how I feel about what you said, just as you can change how you feel about what I have said. Commenting is not necessary therefore, but still welcomed anyways.