Portland Public Schools debates dogs in classrooms over Islamic beliefs

A debate is ongoing in Portland, Maine Public Schools over Islamic religious beliefs and dogs in classrooms.  (Google Earth)

A Maine public school administrator raised concerns about allowing dogs in classrooms because of Islamic religious beliefs about the animals, as the district considers changes to its classroom pet policy following a teacher’s request to foster puppies.

Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed, Portland Public Schools’ assistant superintendent for student, family and community partnerships, discussed the concerns during an Oct. 14 policy committee meeting, explaining that some Islamic traditions consider dog saliva impure. Ahmed said he had consulted local Muslim religious leaders who opposed keeping dogs as classroom pets, according to a report by The National News Desk.

The debate began after a teacher at Ocean Avenue Elementary School sought permission to foster puppies in her classroom, giving students an opportunity to interact with the animals during reading and playtime. Ahmed suggested that accommodations could include keeping dogs in a separate room to respect students and families with religious objections.

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A Portland Public Schools’ administrator raised concerns about dogs in classrooms, citing Islamic traditions that consider dog saliva impure. (iStock)

Ahmed said that Muslim community members are not opposed to animals, saying, “in Islamic tradition, there is always the love for animals and living things and compassion for animals.”

He went on to say that some Islamic traditions consider dogs 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.”

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Some Islamic traditions consider dog saliva impure, an issue raised during discussions about classroom animals at Portland Public Schools in Maine. (Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images)

Ahmed, who was born and raised in Somalia, speaks Somali, Arabic, English and Urdu, according to his district biography. He also said the imams he spoke with did not want dogs kept as pets in classrooms.

Committee members discussed whether any revised policy should apply only to dogs or extend to other classroom animals, along with potential opt-in and opt-out accommodations. The committee did not vote on 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 called objections to dogs in the classroom “silly.” 

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Ocean Avenue Elementary School in Portland, Maine.  (Google Earth)

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Fox News Digital reached out to Ahmed and Ryan Scallon, superintendent of Portland Public Schools, for comment but did not immediately receive responses.