Ex-Perlis mufti hits out at claims he supported ‘touch-a-dog’ event
Associate professor Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin today took a swipe at Islamic scholars, who instead of acting as custodians of truth, were allegedly hiding the facts to please their political masters.
The former Perlis mufti said these people, who sold their religion for the sake of worldly benefits, were no different from "a dog that hangs out its tongue".
"Being Mat Rempit (illegal street racers), robbers, or even dishonest leaders are not as bad as these types of people who hide the truth or distort the facts that lead people astray.
"The Quran even equates those who like to twist the facts as such," he said in his latest Facebook page, Dr Maza.com.
Asri said he was upset at some media which had reported his take on dogs yesterday as if he were in full support of the “I want to touch a dog” event held in Bandar Utama in Petaling Jaya on Sunday.
"The fact is, I was talking from the dimension of Islamic texts regarding the handling of dogs, not the campaign itself," he said.
Asri said in his earlier posting, he had not mentioned whether he was in support of or against the organising of the event because he was unclear about the objectives behind it.
"Was there a need for it to be held? (I don't know). Just like I was unclear of why millions of ringgit are being spent for people to see pandas from China.
"If I want to support an event or not, I have to have the full details of it and be fair to all parties concerned," he said.
Asri said he had written about the issue surrounding the handling of dogs for many years because he had been asked by Muslims and non-Muslims alike to shed light on Islam's view on the matter.
“My writing was meant to put an end to the negative perception people have on Islam regarding the animal.”
Asri reminded that those who are learned should stay true to the principle of knowledge and not submit to outside pressure.
"Dogs hang out their tongues out because of body heat but these scholars are in constant overheating state, always wanting more," he said.
"Various fatwas have been issued and if their 'rivals' had made a mistake, they will shove it in the person's face until the end of time and if it the fault was theirs, they will find hundreds of excuses to justify it.
"Yes, scholars are no angels or prophets. They, too, are prone to mistakes. But whatever the case, they cannot distort the facts, or conceal the truth to lead people away from the teachings of Allah." he said.
Asri was reported as saying yesterday that touching a dog was not "haram" (forbidden) although the animal was categorised as "najis" (unclean).
He said the Shafie school of thought (which Malaysia follows) was strict on the matter, although the views in other Islamic schools were wider and easier.
He added that Muslims were not encouraged to keep a dog at home except for certain purposes, such as hunting, farming and security.
Meanwhile, director-general of Jakim Datuk Othman Mustapha reportedly said that the programme should not have taken place, adding that the religious authority would investigate the matter immediately.
This came after the event received overwhelming response from Muslims in and around the federal capital on Sunday.
Syed Azmi Alhabshi, a pharmacist in his 30s, had organised the event to help people overcome their fear of dogs and learn compassion for all animals.
The Kuala Lumpur native also said he wanted to help people overcome certain misconceptions and sensitivities surrounding dogs.
More than 1,000 people had attended the event which saw Muslims and non-Muslims alike interacting with dogs of various breeds. – October 21, 2014.
