Florida Rep.’s tweet comparing Muslims to dogs is a pretext to justify hostility | Opinion

Central Florida U.S. Rep. Randy Fine recently put out a post on social media suggesting, if he had to, he would choose dogs over Muslims, saying it is an “easy” choice.

While this comment got widespread condemnation and calls for censure/resignation, neither of those things has happened as of the writing of this piece. Switch out “Muslims” for any other group, and we can be sure at least one of those things would have happened by now.

Sadly, some people online are even leaning into the Islamophobic nature of Fine’s post and echoing hateful statements about Islam and Muslims — many of them preceded by false claims such as “Islam teaches Muslims to hate dogs.” This is often followed by something much harsher, fear‑based or outright dehumanizing. I want to say this clearly and calmly: That claim is false, and it harms real people.

Muslims can own dogs. Muslims can love dogs. And kindness to animals is not optional in Islam. It is a moral obligation.

What often gets misunderstood is that Islam makes a distinction between ritual practice and moral worth. Some Muslims choose not to keep dogs inside their homes for reasons related to prayer and ritual cleanliness. That choice is similar to how some religious communities follow dietary rules or purity laws. It is not about hatred, fear or viewing dogs as lesser or evil.

In fact, Islamic teachings speak very strongly about compassion toward animals.

There is a well‑known teaching in Islam about a man who saw a dog dying of thirst. He climbed down a well, filled his shoe with water and gave the dog a drink. The teaching says God forgave him because of that single act of mercy. Another teaching speaks of a woman who was punished not for disbelief, but because she locked up a cat and allowed it to starve. The message is simple and direct: how you treat animals matters deeply.

That is not a tradition built on cruelty.

Across the world, Muslims work with dogs every day. They train service dogs, search‑and‑rescue dogs, police dogs, farm dogs and guard dogs. Many Muslim families keep dogs responsibly and affectionately, often outdoors or in designated spaces, balancing religious practice with care and companionship. None of this contradicts Islam.

What does contradict Islam is abuse, neglect or violence toward animals. Feeding them, giving them water, protecting them from harm and showing mercy are all considered acts of worship. Compassion is not a side detail. It is central.

When people use dogs as a way to attack Muslims, they are not defending animals. They are using animals as a pretext to justify fear and hostility toward their neighbors.

Every major faith tradition has internal conversations about ritual, culture and compassion. Islam is no different. It is lived by human beings who love, care, adapt and show mercy in real, visible ways.

You do not have to be Muslim to recognize this. You just have to be fair.

If we truly care about animals, we should oppose cruelty everywhere, including the cruelty of misinformation that turns entire communities into caricatures. Mercy does not belong to one religion, but in Islam, mercy is absolutely at the heart of the story.

No debate required. Just honesty.

Samir Kakli is executive director of the South Florida Muslim Federation. Adeel Karim is from the Tampa Muslim community.