In Stockholm, Sweden, a three-year Somali kid was put into a kindergarten with other native children whose parents mostly own dogs and puppies. Parents come to the nursery in cars to pick up kids home. They usually bring dogs in their cars. Sometimes kids play dogs at nursery. The Somali boy also enjoyed playing with the dogs with his nurserymates.
In an usually situation in a Somali family, their son requested from his parents to buy him a dog to play with at home just the way his friends do. By this request, the Somali parents were in shock, not knowing what to do with this strange kid’s request other than telling him that dogs are “haraam” (forbidden) in Islam. The kid responded, “then buy me a Muslim dog”.
The boy’s parent didn’t know what to do about the situation. Perhaps they could seek help and advice from their local Somali Sheikh, who also give Quranic lessons to the boy on weekends. This Sheikh advised the kid along the lines of his own parents – the boy repeating his demand that all he needed was buying a Muslim dog. It was a bad situation. Moreover, the kid was demoralised and depressed. He stopped talking to his parents and at home he didn’t want to get out of his room.
Luckily, a learned relative of the family was visiting Stockholm. Parents told him about the boy’s problem. The relative thought about the problem and decided to search for advice from other non-Somali Muslim communities in the city. He was advised to see a Palestinian Imam at local Mosque. This relative of the family struck a conversation with the Palestinian, whom he found out was knowledgeable about Somalis’ social integration issues of self-segregation and living in sub-clan enclaves even in the West, still not accepting the fact that was the culture that had destroyed their country of origin.
“Do you have dogs here at home, Sheikh?”, asked the learned relative.
“Yes, of course I have”, the Iman responded.
“Then, we need your help”. He told the Imam about the kid’s problem.
“Bring that kid to my home and let him stay and play with my kids and dogs for a week”, the Sheikh generously offered.
“Aren’t dogs haram in Muslim society?”, the man asked.
“Yes, but you don’t slaughter them and you don’t eat dog’s meat. Muslims in Arabian Peninsula use dogs to herd animals and for security reasons. There is nothing haram in that. Muslim also don’t isolate themselves from the non-Muslim society they live with, instead taking advantage of good values, expertise and technology. Muslims also have to share their values and religion with non-Muslims”.
This story has happy ending – the depressed boy had returned home after a week from the Imam’s house with the promise of getting a dog when he gets a bit older on the condition that he respects his parents, listen to them and do well in school. Problem solved.
(This article has been re-edited since posting).
Warsame Policy & Media Network (WAPMEN) 