While dogs are known as a man’s best friend in the West, cultural taboos in Muslims countries such as Malaysia have created a gap between people and pooches.
The “I want to touch a dog” event in the outskirts of Kuala Lampure, however, changed all of that.
Hundreds of people showed up on Sunday and were encouraged to pet and handle dogs, which are typically considered as haram (forbidden) in Islam.
Event organizer Syed Azmi Alhabshi said he wanted people to be more compassionate towards dogs.
“This is just a baby step for us. I don’t know whether people will now understand not to throw stones at dogs, but we want people to know that if they are not knowledgeable or are curious about things, they should ask,” he told Asia One.
Not everyone was pleased though. Conservative Muslim scholars in the country, which is predominately moderate, condemned the event, even going as far to accuse the organizer of apostasy.
