Don't be offended over dogs, Jakim tells Muslims

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has urged Muslims not to take offence at images of dogs in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Its director-general, Othman Mustapha, citing the Islamic concept of co-existence as well as Malaysia’s practice of moderate Islam, said the use of the animal as a symbol during the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations should not be made into an issue.

“So with reference to the teachings in Islam on the concept of co-existence (fiqh taa’yush), even though the lunar new year uses animals as a form of symbolism, it is something that needs to be respected for the sake of racial harmony.

“This is in line with the government’s policy of promoting moderate Islam,” Othman said in a statement yesterday.

The Chinese zodiac assigns an animal to each year in a 12-year cycle. This year, it is the turn of the dog.

Authorities have in the past banned or restricted materials depicting the dog and pig, animals which Malaysia’s Shafi’i Muslims consider as unclean.

Jakim’s statement follows recent reports of some businesses in the country playing down the portrayal of dogs in Chinese New Year decorations.

Reuters had reported how an upmarket mall in the middle of Kuala Lumpur’s tourist hotspot of Bukit Bintang had not shown any images of canines, but instead focused on its 10th anniversary celebration as its décor for the Chinese New Year.

Pavilion Kuala Lumpur marketing director Kung Suan Ai told Reuters that religious and cultural sensitivities were a determining factor in conceptualising decorations.

“This is because the mall attracts three million people of various backgrounds each month,” she was quoted as saying.

Last month, a popular hypermarket was seen promoting a Chinese zodiac T-shirt, with only 10 out of the 12 animal signs depicted, omitting the pig and dog.

A guideline by Jakim, which oversees the halal industry, also prohibits the use of the name “dog”, forcing popular products such as A&W’s famed Coney Dog to be renamed.