'Hard line on dog event repelling young Muslims'

Being "too judgemental" against the organiser and participants of the controversial dog-patting event may alienate young, urban Muslims, a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence warns.

 

Maszlee said that this is especially so when the judgement is passed without allowing the organisers and participants to explain themselves.

 

Religious authorities and clerics have condemned Sunday's event, arguing that the unneccesary touching of dogs is forbidden in the Shafie school adhered to by most Malaysian Muslims.

 

"Although they are right to a certain extent, young, urban Muslims today are exposed to other schools of thought through their readings, the media and the internet," said Maszlee ( left ) in a statement.

 

"They are exposed to the fatwa of ulama from the Maliki school who view that it is not forbidden to touch dogs and that dogs are not considered as heavy impurities," he said.

 

Maszlee, who teaches fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and usul al-fiqh (principles of jurisprudence) department, said that prominent scholar Yusuf al-Qardawi and former Egypt mufti Syeikh Ali Juma'ah also share this view.

 

According to Maszlee, young Muslims are also more exposed to various English-speaking international ulama, who are experts in multiple schools of thought.

 

"Their tolerance and intelligent ways of teaching have captured the young people's hearts.

 

"It is not impossible that local scholars' too judgemental attitude will lead to young, urban Muslims who are critical-minded to prefer scholars from outside the country," he said.

 

The organiser Syed Azmi Alhabshee ( right ) and participants of 'I Want To Touch A Dog' event on Sunday have been told to repent after unnecessarily touching dogs.

 

The clerics argue that this is against the Shafie school of thought which consider wet dogs as najis mughalazah (heavy impurities).

 

The event was meant to desensitise Malay Muslims to dogs, which are consided a cultural taboo.