The disconnect between the Muslim faith & mans best friend!

This article is written after spending 9 months travelling the length and breadth of Malaysia & Sri Lanka with our furry friend Zeus. Travelling around a country that is, they say, a 75%+ muslim population is tough going. It is not for the faint-hearted. Let's understand why.

History always gives us a good base line. Firstly most Muslims and to some extent non-muslims believe Islam & dogs simply don't mix. And this is still a view that stands today.

But let's take a look back as history tells us a somewhat different story, one I didn't know until talking to and sharing stories with many Muslim people on our travels.

There were really positive beginnings between Muslims and dogs that go back to the religions very beginnings. Some of the holiest sites in the world cast images of dogs frolicking in areas of prayer. Muslim households would raise young puppies and there was a genuine affection between man and mans best friend. They were used on farms, as guard dogs, as family pets.

However when Islam spread throughout the middle east and the world it moved from being a religion of nomadic people to one centred in cities. In the early days dogs still retained their role of protector and in many cases household pet. But they also became the garbage function which lead to the end of a beautiful relationship. As soon as garbage in the cities started to become public hygiene issues then both garbage and dogs were removed from the city walls and left to deteriorate outside. Muslims started to believe there was a connection between dogs and garbage and this lead to the animal being seen as 'dirty, impure and sometimes even evil'. Sadly this has continued today.

So what has travelling through Malaysia & Sri Lanka with Zeus been like. Err, argh....mmmm. Challenging is putting it pretty mild. Impossible no, enjoyable at times debatable and would we choose to do it again, No. It didn't take the shine off the magic of our travels though. No way! In fact it felt like a great opportunity in many ways to showcase and display how man and mans best friend are such a wonderful match. We had hundreds of conversations with many Malay Muslims in Malaysia and also people of the Muslim faith in Sri Lanka. We imparted our views and they did theirs. We all had a story to tell, an opinion to share. What I learnt is that whilst I will never understand the disconnection and furthermore the lack of compassion by many towards dogs I did appreciate their tolerance & curiosity. The Malay Malaysians are soft, gentle friendly people. Always smiling & laughing. The people of Sri Lanka who follow the muslim faith are equally as warm & welcoming.

There were many times they would jump when they saw Zeus, run across the road (sometimes into incoming traffic - true!), cover their faces, squeal with fear & even freeze on the spot. We would laugh, smile, reassure them Zeus was not going to do them any harm and take the moment to show them that dogs are not the enemy. :)

Of course people of the Muslim faith cannot touch 'wet' dogs. So it was always a little amusing when Zeus would come thrashing out of the beach like a bull in a china shop! Again people never cussed or cursed. They would nervously smile & then run like the wind. (not true). :)

Whilst I would love to be the one to change the hearts and minds of these people that is a task bigger than me. But we can all take a moment in life to share our thoughts, stories and journeys with others. I'm not here to be judge & jury. The lesson was invaluable.

Yes as a dog lover I wish things were different. There are many abandoned street dogs across Asia as a result. They are all crying out for love and affection. Just a pat and kind smile would be enough for most. I will soldier on and carry the torch for dog welfare and 'adopt don't shop' and maybe just maybe on my travels change the hearts and minds of the odd few.