MUSLIM DOG LOVERS PLEASE STAND UP...

MPS MEETING WITH SPCA, ROAR, MARPO & PET POSITIVE

Friday, 14th September 2007 at 9.00am

Be there to lend your support

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All photos in this article are courtesy of

Amber, Faith and Chloe; owned by Melissa-Jane a Muslim Dog Lover

I would like to appeal to all Muslim Doggie Lovers Malaysia to please come forward and lend your support towards this cause. While I have tried my best to avoid bringing religion into this issue, we have been cited as opposing this Dog Catching Competition on racial and religious grounds. Some parties have stated that we are being Anti-Islam or Anti-Malay. This is entirely untrue, as this dog catching competition affects all of us as humans regardless of religion.

Also, it is important to note, that while most dog lovers in this country are Non-Muslims, there are a large number of Muslims who love dogs, and who have made it clear that Islam does not say that dogs are haram, and that it is perfectly alright to have dogs as Muslims. In fact the Holy Quran cites several examples of Muslims living in harmony with their dogs while condemning those that mistreat animals. See

Al-Kahf Chapter 18: 19. Thou mightest deem them awake, whilst they are asleep; and WE shall cause them to turn over to the right and to the left; their dog stretching out its forelegs on the threshold. If thou hadst had a look at them, thou wouldst surely be filled with awe of them.

Al-Kahf Chapter 18: 23. Some say, `They were three, the fourth of them was their dog;' and others say, `They were five, the sixth of them was their dog,' guessing at random. And yet others say, `They were seven, the eighth of them was their dog.' Say, `My Lord knows best their correct number. None knows them except a few.' So argue not concerning them except with unanswerable arguments, nor seek information concerning them from anyone of them.

" A prostitute was guided by God's truth and ultimately went to paradise because she gave water to a dog dying of thirst in the desert" (Bukhari, "Anbiya'," 54; Muslim, "Salam," 153).

And for the other women, Allah's Apostle said, "A woman was tortured and was put in Hell because of a cat which she had kept locked till it died of hunger." Allah's Apostle further said, (Allah knows better) Allah said (to the woman), 'You neither fed it nor watered when you locked it up, nor did you set it free to eat the insects of the earth." Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 40, Number 553

Please also see writings on Dogs in Islam by Dr. Ayoub M. Banderker (BVMCh), a Muslim Veterinary Surgeon; and Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl a professor of Islamic Law at UCLA and holder of many ijazat (teaching diplomas) from traditional Sunni scholars in the Middle East

For those of you who do not know me, you may think that I am just citing all these examples in an attempt to rally more support for this cause. While that is true, I would also like to make it known that although I am a practicing Christian, I was raised by a Muslim Nanny from the day I was born till I was about 5 years old. She taught me that Islam was a beautiful and tolerant religion. I actually call her "Mak" to this very day.

Subsequently, when my family moved to a new area, I was looked after by our Muslim neighbours as my parents were away at work most of the time. I spent almost all my time at their house till I was about 18. They too treated me like their own child, and they have always taught me that kindness and compassion towards all living creatures was the way of life in Islam. They also helped us look after the German Shepherds that we had at the time whenever we were away.

Other than that, a large number of my friends are in fact Muslims. Some of my closest Muslim friends have dogs themselves and love their dogs, in my opinion, more than alot of Non-Muslims that I know. The rest of my Muslim friends do not have dogs, but they have no problems with my 2 monsters, Cleo & Lucky, whenever they come to my house. Most of the time they are perfectly alright with Cleo & Lucky roaming freely around them. There are a few that would request that I put them away but only because they are genuinely afraid of dogs just like many Non-Muslims are.

I am also writing this to enlighten all Non-Muslims to the real teachings of Islam. Please do not condemn the religion just because there are some parties that do not fully understand the teachings of Islam. I also hope that the Non-Muslims will not make any disrespectful remarks towards the Muslims of this country.

It is imperative that we work together as one nation to stop this inhumane dog catching competition without bringing in political, racial or religious issues as far as possible.