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Indonesian Mosque Council condemns woman who entered Bogor mosque with dog
A witness to the incident, Nisvu Amalia, 40, sent an email to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday saying that the woman seemed to be looking for her husband.
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A screen capture of a video in which a woman is seen bringing a dog into a mosque in Bogor, West Java. (Antara/-)
T
he Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI) has condemned a woman who brought her dog into Al Munawaroh Mosque in Sentul, Bogor, West Java.
“We condemn the act [of bringing a dog into a mosque], regardless of any personal reason,” Syafruddin said on Monday as quoted by the Antara news agency.
The woman also did not take off her shoes when entering the mosque.
He went on to say that despite the grave nature of her actions, he urged Muslims to remain cool-headed amid unsubstantiated claims that could potentially blow the issue out of proportion.
Many Muslims consider dogs to be unclean or impure, particularly their saliva, and most try their best to avoid contact with canine saliva.
All those who enter a mosque must remove their footwear beforehand; entering the site of worship wearing shoes or sandals is considered an act of desecration.
Syafruddin said the DMI needed to immediately address the controversy to curb possible escalation. Furthermore, he said he was worried that misinformation would incite yet another sectarian conflict.
