The Islamic Development Department (Jakim) will call up the organizer of  the 'I Want to Touch A Dog' event held in Petaling Jaya, Selangor yesterday for an explanation on why it was held.

Jakim director-general Othman Mustapha said this is as the event had impinged on Muslim sensitivities and caused "distress" within the community.

He said that this is as Muslims were urged to pat dogs "without a reason".

"This caused public distress, particularly among Muslims as it clearly breaches the rules of the school of thought followed locally and local customs," he said.

He added that according to the Shafie school of thought, adhered to by Malaysian Muslims, it is haram (forbidden) for Muslims to touch for no reason.

"It is the same as someone who sins willfully only to repent later," he said in a statement today.

Othman (left) added that Muslims are compelled to keep themselves and their homes clean.

However, he said, it does not mean that Muslims can be cruel to dogs.

The event organised yesterday by Syed Azmi Alhabshi aimed to help Malay Muslims break cultural taboos about touching dogs and attracted about 200 people.

Syed Azmi told Malaysiakini the event has received the go ahead from the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais).

The event also featured a talk by a cleric, who gave attendees a demonstration of how Muslims can cleanse themselves after touching a dog.

Othman was reported by Bernama as saying that the cleric, too, would be investigated to verify his qualifications.

"For now, we don’t know if this individual is actually an ustaz. Nowadays, anyone can put on a songkok and become an ustaz," he was quoted as saying.

'Don't create a culture against Islam'

The event has also been decried by clerics who deemed it was against the common beliefs of Malaysian Muslims. 

Johor Islamic council adviser Nooh Gadut (below) said today it was against the fatwa and Shafie school of thought.

"It is forbidden as it is against religion, health and culture. Don't try to create a culture that goes against Islam and the Shafie (school of thought), especially something that has elements that insult the country’s ulama," a Berita Harian report today quotes Nooh as saying.

Pahang mufti Abdul Rahman Othman said religious authorities should investigate the programme’s objectives, which were "clearly against religious beliefs of Muslims".

Meanwhile, Selangor mufti Tamyes Abdul Wahid, questioned the event’s objectives, on whether it was for dogs to be made as pets or otherwise, Utusan Malaysia today quoted him as saying.

Tamyes said if the event was organised to purposely create a polemic among the rakyat, the campaign should be rejected.

Ex-mufti: 'Shallow' to say forbidden to touch dogs

'Patting dogs event insult to country's ulama'