Of Dogs and Muslims.

What's with Dogs and  Malay Muslims? In all my years of living among them I have no doubt that Malays have a phobia about dogs, they fear dogs. The fact that Islam prohibits physical contact with this animal ( still debatable to the extent according to interpretations of the Quran), does not help this Canine phobia. The fact also that the Chinese keeps dogs in just about every house in the neighborhood also adds on to this phobia and the Chinese to their advantage makes it a must to have a fierce dog guarding the homes to keep unwonted Malays from loitering in their neighborhood.
When I was growing up in Sungai Pinang which back then was known as Kampung Selut, we children had our own favorite canine friend whose name was Golf and it was a huge dog that was loved by every child in the Kampung. From this one dog we learned not to fear other dogs and what the animal is capable in terms of being a friend to children. My late teacher and friend Cik Gu Yusof Ali had two huge dogs in his home, not inside the house but close enough but they were fierce hunting dogs. So most of us back then had little fear of dogs and patted them and ran around with them.unlike most Malays whose parents would warn their children against getting anywhere near dogs for fear of getting bitten more so than Islam prohibits their close contact with the animal. Off course I am talking about "Man's closest friend" as universally been established. An animal that would die in trying to protect its master.
So what is wrong with dogs that Muslims are today up in arms against a function held just for the hell of it giving a chance for these Malays a chance to get to know dogs and in the process hopefully help to cure their phobias and gain better understanding of one of God's most useful creatures? In most Middle Eastern countries dogs are kept for various purposes such as sheep herding or camel herding, hunting and as guard dogs. They employed dogs to sniff out drugs at airports and to sniff out victims buried under fallen structures in times of earthquakes and some are even made to sniff out bombs!  Yes this is one multi- purpose animal that deserves our respect if not companionship as it has been known to serve its master even when the master had died. But in Malaysia Malay Muslims have now a new cause to growl at and it is Islam and Dogs! I do not question the religious edict as to can or cannot do according to the Holy Book, but i question the wisdom of those who interpret the scriptures and the way they handle this matter making this animal such a pariah among God's creatures when the opposite is true.
I used to have high regards and respect for the Kelantan State Chief Minister NIk Aziz, I held him to be a very religious wise old man with a very level head, but on this issue he has disappointed me when calling all those who took part in the Dog Touching event as having "Worms in their Brains" ands that it serves no purpose for them in the afterlife". What a crock of crap! I wonder if he has any idea how many species of dogs Allah has created among His Creations to be condemned by such a man. If one calls such a person an extremist all hell would break loose among the Muslim brotherhood but what else can you call it when you take such a drastic stand with no compassion whatsoever towards the animal that most people love to be with, even Muslims and especially Malay Muslims who has this Canine phobia? When in doubt throw them a 'Fatwa! One wonders why Islam is loosing its credibility. The religion is being run by a bunch of hooded myopic visionaries who sees everything as black and white, no lee way for Islam, no middle way either, like my eldest brother's warning to me, no compromise! Everything seems cut and dry, my way or the highway.
Sometime in 1980-81 I was bitten by a German Shepard while walking down the street on Eastman Avenue in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It left two large holes in my thigh just below my scrotum and left me in fear of dogs for the next few years of my life so much so that the sound of a dog collar sent shivers down my spine. I was cured of this phobia when i met a female dog and became friend with her by curing her back of some skin desease, I was never afraid anymore after that of dogs. It was a long and beautiful relationship between me and the dog named Sierra while living at Green Gulch Farm in California and I might have written about it in my earlier entries of the blog. I learned all about Loving Kindness from a dog after being traumatized by another. Allah must have created dogs for a reason and i do not believe it was for a bad one, I hope Muslims will allow themselves to be free and open minded enough to share their love and friendship towards all creatures especially "Man's best friend."