Pages

Friday, January 19, 2024

Daim's son seen with Xmas tree and dog in his house





Daim's son seen with Xmas tree and dog in his house


19 Jan 2024 • 3:30 PM MYT


Aaron Colt
News and political writer. Shooting through the noise, one word at a time.




Datuk Mohd Wira Dani Abdul Daim and family (Source: X)


A post recently went viral on X (formerly known as Twitter) which features Daim's son, Datuk Mohd Wira Dani Abdul Daim and his family enjoying the festive season. Two things caught the attention of netizens: the presence of a Christmas tree and a dog petted by Datuk Mohd Wira Dani Abdul Daim himself.


Datuk Mohd Wira Dani Abdul Daim has set up a Christmas tree which according to netizens, is indicative of them celebrating Christmas. Presents can also be seen being placed under the Christmas tree. According to Mufti of Federal Territory's Office, it is impermissible for Muslims to celebrate the religious celebration of non-Muslims (e.g. Christmas) for it is an act of glorifying the eminence of their religion. In fact, for Muslims, their day of celebration holds no significance for it is just like any other normal day. It is also worth mentioning that in a separate article by the very same Mufti of Federal Territory's Office, they stated that wearing Santa Claus’s hat or any ornament and apparel related to Christmas including putting up the Christmas tree is impermissible. For these reasons, it is not difficult to see why netizens are “bemused” by the actions of Datuk Mohd Wira Dani's family.


Another thing that caught the attention of netizens is the presence of a dog in Datuk Mohd Wira Dani's house. The dog seems to be a Chow Chow. Followers of the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence in Sunni Islam such as Malaysian Muslims are taught that dogs are unclean or impure, be they Chow Chow or not. If Malaysian Muslims touch a dog, they must wash the area of contact seven times - the first time with dirt and the remaining 6 with water. The ruling is based on a hadith which states: Cleanse your vase which the dog licked by washing it seven times and the first is with earth (soil). If a person fails to do so, his prayers are rendered invalid. It should be noted that these rules also apply to dishes, clothes and other items that have been in contact with dogs. It is also worth mentioning that in 2017, JAKIM (Islamic Development Department in English) also urged Muslims not to touch or pet dogs; they noted that touching or petting dogs was against the Shafi'i school of thought and norms practiced in Malaysia.


Dog accompanying Datuk Mohd Wira Dani's family (Source: X)


Dogs are taboo in Malaysia to the point that in 2014, Syed Azmi Alhabsi received death threats for organizing a dog-petting event called “I Want To Touch A Dog” which encourages compassion towards men's best friend. In the week following the event, he received more than 3,000 messages, most of them hateful and some threatening physical harm. Malaysian authorities even describe the event as “an offense to Islam”. Mr Syed Azmi Alhabsi later apologized in a press conference and said, “With a sincere heart, my intention to organize this program was because of Allah and not to distort the faith, change religious laws, make fun of ulama (learned men) or encourage liberalism.”


So it is no wonder that netizens are “bemused” by the presence of a dog in Datuk Mohd Wira Dani's home. What do you think of this? Let me know in the comments


No comments:

Post a Comment