Thank you to Aminah for sending this link about MUIS' views on animals. It was very enlightening.
I am very glad to see that MUIS is supportive of sterilisation of animals, and promotes kindness to animals. However I was disappointed to see that they mentioned that if an animal causes conflict in the family, it is permissible to kill it. Aminah, who is Muslim herself, was quite disturbed by this and sent in the link, urging everyone to write to MUIS.
8 comments:
MUIS (Singapore Muslim Board) should promote responsible pet ownership in their website. They should mention that keeping pets is for life and we cannot simply cannot give away our cat to SPCA and had it put to sleep due to family reasons. No wonder SPCA is flooded with unwanted cats often brought in by Malay/Muslim cat owners since MUIS said it is okay to surrender your unwanted pets to SPCA.
None of the Malays/Muslims who brought in their cats have any qualms or regrets about their healthy cats lives shortened - put to sleep in SPCA.
MUIS should work closely with AVA and SPCA in their pet responsibility "a pet is for life" campaign. Aren't MUIS aware of AVA and SPCA often held regular Pet Responsibility exhibitions?
What I don't understand is MUIS principle on euthanasia. I recalled few years back when I phoned MUIS Imam (priest), he mentioned it is wrong to put to sleep animals - sick animals, as it is all in God (Allah) hands to take away its life, nonetheless we must try our very best to medicate the very sick animal and look after its comfort. The imam said put your faith in God as He will decide whether the sick animal will live or die.
Imagine my surprise in MUIS website, they mention it is okay to put to sleep animals. I am going to email them this - why the discrepancy over animal euthanasia - their imam said it is wrong to put to sleep animals, but their website mentioned it is okay to put to sleep animals.
Personally I think it is wrong to put to sleep pet cats in SPCA just because they are unwanted cats.
Muslims are taught to respect Allah’s creation. If we ill treat any of Allah creation, we will be questioned about it on the Day of Judgment.
Quote from holy Prophet Muhammad "Fear Allah in your ill treatment of animals."
These are MUIS's guidelines to promote responsible pet ownership and there are some good points.
As a majority of our population lives in close proximity to one another, letting cats out to roam will inevitably cause some problems to some neighbours & cause disharmony.
Perhaps if there is conflict in the family, one shd try adoption before putting the family cat down. Putting the cat down may cause the person(s) who wanted the cat in the first place to be upset and cause disharmony amongst family members.
In the first place, the adoption of a cat shd be a family decision.
I feel that more can be done to create awareness among the Malay community to prevent "disposal" of home cats by
1) Active education that an adopted pet is as precious as an adopted child, therefore due consideration must be given with regard to long term care. A cat is NOT a branded Gucci or whatever but a living breathing creation that will fall sick, be old and die. Do we abandon our child or parents if we experience caregiver's stress? No! We will work through our problems to keep the family together and that includes the feline members.
2) Actively advocate sterilisation so that ONE adopted cat remains at ONE! If the family is financially strained, perhaps some funding can be made available for sterilisation.
3) Highlight the social problems created by free roaming cats. So many downstairs cats have been blamed and killed for upstairs mess created by cats that are allowed to roam out. Spread the love of one's home cats to that of the strays, and be responsible for home cats as well as strays.
Unless of course the cat can be leased to walk in public areas.
There are so many things that can be done to prevent unnecessary strain on family ties when one is aware of the responsibilities of adopting a cat, that there is no necessity to KILL a family member!
This in in response to the 2nd Anonymous post:
I emailed MUIS last night on ways to create awareness among the Malay community to prevent "disposal" of home cats.
The guidelines I gave are:
MUIS should made changes in their website and mention that a responsible pet owner should be prepare to follow these guidelines before they bring home a cat :
1.) look after their cat for its natural lifespan, which may be 15 to 20 years;
2.) ensure that they have the financial resources to pay for the cat in its lifetime - food, litter, vet fees - seek medical treatment for the cat if it is ill, before they bring home the cat;
3.) get their cat sterilised at 6 months;
4.) to refrain from declawing the cat as it is cruel and hurt the animal;
5.) to prevent cats from falling off high-rise building or roaming outdoors - install mesh or grills on windows and door - the spacing should not be wide to prevent cat from falling or roaming outdoors.
There are more facts to the responsible pet ownership guidelines, if MUIS were to contact SPCA and/or AVA they can help MUIS with the info, as AVA and SPCA often held Responsible Pet Ownership roadshows.
Pet owners should not simply give up their cats just because of "personal problem" to SPCA and had it put to sleep. This is a wrong message MUIS putting in their website.
It is wrong to put to sleep cats in SPCA just because they are unwanted cats.
Owning a pet is a life-long commitment.
I hope MUIS take into consideration my suggestions on improving its "Animal Issue" website.
Quote from holy Prophet Muhammad "Fear Allah in your ill treatment of animals."
Aminah Bee.
I am glad this is being aired and good suggestions will be given to MUIS.
It is time MUIS officials walk the ground, talk to Town Council and HDB officers about the problems in the community and that a significant proportion of them stem of lack of pet responsibilities. If the owners of cats keep their cats, the Town Council officers will be most grateful and HDB officers do not have to visit to ask them to "remove" the cats that ended dumped in the estate.
MUIS should also speak to Mr Mah Bow Tan and ask him to remove the Ban on Cats and replace it with regulations to enforce pet responsibilities on recalcitrant owners.
I agree that it's definitely good that MUIS gives guidelines and also that they take into consideration the fact that Singaporeans live in such close proximity. I do think that as the first Anonymous points out though, that killing a cat because it causes disharmony can actually cause far greater unhappiness in a family - I've seen families not speaking to each other for much less.
Has anyone receive any response to email to MUIS? I haven't.
Aminah mentioned she hadn't either.
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