A Maine school administrator has raised questions about allowing dogs in classrooms, citing religious concerns within the Muslim community as Portland Public Schools reviews its policy on classroom pets.
Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed, the district’s assistant superintendent for student, family and community partnerships, addressed the issue during an Oct. 14 policy committee meeting. He explained that some Islamic traditions regard dog saliva as ritually impure.
According to The National News Desk, Ahmed said he consulted local Muslim religious leaders, who expressed opposition to keeping dogs as classroom pets.
The discussion followed a request from a teacher at Ocean Avenue Elementary School to foster puppies in her classroom. The proposed arrangement would have allowed students to spend time with the animals during reading and play activities.
Ahmed suggested that the district could consider accommodations, such as housing dogs in a separate room, to respect students and families who have religious objections.
At the meeting, Ahmed emphasized that Muslim communities are not opposed to animals. “In Islamic tradition, there is always the love for animals and living things and compassion for animals,” he said.
He added, however, that certain Islamic traditions view dogs as 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.”
Ahmed was born and raised in Somalia and speaks Somali, Arabic, English and Urdu, according to his biography on the district’s website.
He also said the imams he consulted did not support having dogs kept as classroom pets.
Committee members considered whether any new policy should address only dogs or cover other animals as well. They also discussed possible opt-in and opt-out arrangements for students and families.
No vote was taken on proposed policy changes during the Oct. 14 meeting.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich said, “Dogs have been enriching the lives of school children across America since its founding.”
She described concerns about dogs in classrooms as “silly.”
Fox News Digital contacted Ahmed and Portland Public Schools Superintendent Ryan Scallon for comment but had not received responses at the time of publication.
