US Muslim leader finds protection with her dog

Dr. Ingrid Mattson with her dog Ziggy.

OnIslam & News Agencies

CAIRO – Dr. Ingrid Mattson, a renowned Muslim professor, has shared her story with her dog Ziggy in a YouTube video produced as part of a series about the lives of American Muslims.

“Dr. Mattson is one of the most prominent female leaders in the Muslim community, and was almost attacked and received several hateful threats for being in her position,” filmmaker Aman Ali, who launched a new video series under the title Homegrown Homies, told BOING BOING site on Monday, March 16.

“So she got a dog named Ziggy to protect herself and her family and thus a beautiful bond was born.”

The video, published on YouTube, tells the story how Dr. Mattson understood that dogs were haram, or forbidden, when she reverted to Islam.

“Our series is steering clear of religion and preachiness because that s— is lame and turns people off,” adds Aman. “Myself included. So our storytelling series is about the lives of Muslim Americans focusing on emotions like love, regret, redemption, guilt, sadness, and joy.”

Islam forbids Muslims to keep dogs as pets.

However it is permissible to have a dog for legitimate benefits such as hunting or guarding.

Dr. Ingrid Mattson is the London and Windsor Community Chair in Islamic Studies at Huron University College at the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada.

Formerly, she was professor of Islamic Studies, founder of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program and director of the Macdonald Center for Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, CT.

Dr. Mattson is the author of The Story of the Qur’an: Its History and Place in Muslim Life. From 2006 to 2010, Dr. Mattson served as President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA); she previously served two terms as Vice-President.