“I WANT TO TOUCH A DOG CAMPAIGN”: TREATMENT OR THREAT? ~ AWESOME

The picture tells how a Muslim mother took her daughter together to the event to experience touching a dog.

Malaysia has been shocked by a controversial campaign that has driven people’s attention, as the most for the Muslims. ‘I want to touch a dog’ campaign was conducted by Syed Azmi Alhabshi with support from Jabatan Kebajikan Agama Islam (JAKIM) on 19 October 2014. There were almost a thousand of people came to the campaign’s event. The event had received so many criticisms from the public especially the Muslims.

This campaign’s objective was to help many overcome their fear of dogs and bring together Malaysians to promote tolerance and understanding that goes beyond culture, race or religion. There was one opinion shared by one of the participants, “It is also to show that touching a dog is not haram. People are worried about touching the dogs more as it’s a sin instead of worrying about the biggest sins," Siti Sakinah who was previously a religious teacher who currently work with an NGO.

People around the country wondered on how eligible the campaign is. Islam has set a belief to the Muslims that we need the stay away from such haram (forbidden) things such as pork, dogs and liquors. In this campaign, the subject is focusing on the dog which considered as one of the haram (forbidden) things that highlighted by Islam. We’ve grown up with such values that rejected the dogs as pet and companionship. So, can we take this campaign as a treatment for such fear towards dogs or it can be seen as a threat to the beautiful of Islam?

We have been taught since we were kids that as Muslims, we really need to take care of our cleanliness. Islam is easy. Every rule that has been made must already come with such definite reasons. As Muslims, we just need to follow the rules and make the world a better place to live.

Based on the teaching of Islam explained by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), touching a dog without an urgent reason is haram. The fatwa states that the Prophet Muhammad had ordered that containers which had been used by dogs to drink from were to be washed, which showed that the tongue, saliva and mouth of dogs were unclean.

Furthermore, dog saliva is created from its own sweat, and if the sweat from its mouth is unclean, then the sweat from the entire body is also unclean. Touching dogs or pigs without pressing reasons is haram. This act is called “Al-Tadhammukh Bi Al-Najasah” and is defined as something which is forbidden to be done without need such as saving a hunting dog from a fire.

In this matter, we can see clearly that having dogs as pets or companionship is giving us no good because they are unclean and might affected our healthiness. That is why Islam labelled dogs as najjis mughallazah as they are forbid in the religion.

In my opinion, to make Malaysians more aware of the furry four-legged creatures and also to educate others on how to practise "sertu" (cleansing) is a brilliant idea. In fact, the campaign which to educate Muslims to love and show compassion towards animals is a very thoughtful idea which I believe is encouraged by the religion itself.

Unfortunately we must come to a realization on the sensitivity of taking dogs as the tool to create the fear free campaign towards animal as a very controversial choice to be made. The organizer must understand that dogs issue is really a big deal for Malaysian Muslims. It is true that touching dog is not haram if and only if the dog is dry.

In Malaysia, the stigma associated with dogs is seen to be a graver sin than drinking alcohol, only slightly below the “biggest sin” of all which is eating pork. Syed Azmi, the organizer of the event claimed that there is no such mistreatment of dogs in Malaysia. However, after looking at pictures of girls wearing headscarves hugging dogs bridle up the Malaysian Muslims and Muslims in global. It shows that there is a huge negative perception towards dogs among Muslims here.

On the other hand, we can see how religious authorities are clawing for control. Serving the public with such a new kind of belief and raising an odd or bizarre thought might lead to a misunderstanding and unacceptable responds from the authorities. The religious authorities can never consume such act that is so called ‘new’ to be practiced by the Muslims in the country. If they found out, this kind of reaction could happen. They might share with the media on how they want the organizer to ‘repent’ from his mislead action.

This sort of ‘new’ belief will be considered as an action to make Islam as more liberal. Liberalism of Islam is when they tried to make sure that Islam is getting more liberal and loose the syariat terms in the Muslims lives. This is where Syed Azmi and his campaign went wrong.

In short, the ‘I want to touch a dog’ campaign is seen as a threat to Islam. This sort of belief can makes the Muslims go astray and liberalize their own religion. Yes it is true that we have to treat dogs as other animals with love unfortunately due to hygiene and cleanliness in Islam we have to agree that dogs should not be allowed to be kept home but as protection for your home.