Police avert crisis over dog meat delicacies in Kaduna
By Abubakar Idris
Security personnel have been deployed to the Nasarawa community on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis, following attempts by youth groups to burn down the residence of a Muslim man accused of sharing dog meat delicacies to guests during his child’s naming ceremony.
However, the security personnel were quick in dispersing the aggrieved youths before they caused something untoward to the man’s house and Islamic school.
The Councillor of Nasarawa, Adam Muhammad said the community was calm as security personnel were deployed to maintain law and order.
Spokesman of the state Police Command, ASP Mansir Hassan said they were investigating the incident, even though the accused person had denied slaughtering any dog for a naming ceremony.
He said the command was doing a background check on the matter and warned members of the community against taking law into their hands.
Some members of Nasarawa community said what the man did was against Islam.
But close associates of the man said their religious sect had nothing against eating dog meat.
Speaking for the sect members, Ismail Abubakar Rijana said the Qur’an does not prohibit eating dogs, adding that “we are Muslims and followers of the Quran only. We believe in the Quran as a religious book. But the way we practice Islamic religion is different from how others practice it.”
According to him, “the constitution of Nigeria gives us the right to practice our belief. So, based on our knowledge of the Quran, no verse prohibits the eating of dogs. However, we are ready to change and ask Allah for forgiveness if we are convinced with verses in the Quran that what we did is wrong.”
Reacting to the development, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi condemned eating dog meat, saying “there are two rulings on the issue of eating dog meat because the Prophet(SAW) prohibited the eating of all animals that hunt or have canine teeth, which dogs have.
“So it is prohibited, but in another school of thought as practiced around the Iraq region, it is disliked. But the ones we follow, the Prophet(SAW) forbade eating dogs, so literally, people don’t eat dogs here. So when you come and introduce such a different practice, it will create reactions, especially when associated with Islamic rites like naming ceremonies.
“This is because Islam only permits four animals for religious rites: camel, cattle, sheep or goat. Any other animal, even if it’s halal like a hen or ostrich, is not allowed to be used for religious sacrifice.
“So their actions are un-Islamic and provocative. They provoke the general Ummah of Malik School of thought which says it is forbidden to eat dog meat.
The state chapter of the Supreme Council for Shariah also condemned eating dog meat.Secretary of the council in Kaduna, Abdulrahaman Hassan said all Muslims must believe in and abide by the basic Islamic principles of jurisprudence.
