A Maine public school administrator raised concerns about allowing dogs in classrooms because of Islamic religious beliefs about the animals, as the district considers changes to its classroom pet policy following a teacher's request to foster puppies.Dr.Abdullahi Ahmed, Portland Public Schools' assistant superintendent for student, family and community partnerships, discussed the concerns during an Oct.
14 policy committee meeting, explaining that some Islamic traditions consider dog saliva impure.Ahmed said he had consulted local Muslim religious leaders who opposed keeping dogs as classroom pets, according to a report by The National News Desk.The debate began after a teacher at Ocean Avenue Elementary School sought permission to foster puppies in her classroom, giving students an opportunity to interact with the animals during reading and playtime.
Ahmed suggested that accommodations could include keeping dogs in a separate room to respect students and families with religious objections.ABDUL EL-SAYED'S ALLEGED FAMILY TIES TO MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SURFACE AFTER DENYING ANY LINK DURING NBC INTERVIEWA Portland Public Schools' administrator raised concerns about dogs in classrooms, citing Islamic traditions that consider dog saliva impure.(iStock)Ahmed said that Muslim community members are not opposed to animals, saying, "in Islamic tradition, there is always the love for animals and living things and compassion for animals."He went on to say that some Islamic traditions consider dogs unclean."So, with that being said, there are some ritual kind of a purity or in that Islamic traditions ...
So, for example, the dog saliva is considered impure," Ahmed said."And also some people had some experiences with dogs, which were negative actually in the past."NEW YORK TIMES ACCUSED OF FRAMING MUSLIMS AS TRUE VICTIMS OF 9/11 IN ANNIVERSARY COVERAGESome Islamic traditions consider dog saliva impure, an issue raised during discussions about classroom animals at Portland Publi...