NEWS AND COMMENT: The Iranian government is living in the 7th century CE in banning dog walking in Tehran, the capital.
Today, it is almost impossible to be a dog owner in Iran because the animal is regarded as unclean and not to be touched thanks to the archaic teachings of the Islamic faith.
The Iranian government in sticking to the teachings of the Koran is taking the country back to the 7th century CE. The intention is to discourage people from owning dogs.
This desire to prevent dog ownership stems from the Koran and the hadiths which presents the view that dogs are impure. Apparently, legal teaching in Muslim countries instruct people that they should not make contact with dogs. It’s extraordinary when you think about it.
This attitude leads to animal abuse. Dr Ayoub Banderker tells us that some Muslim dog owners only bring their dog to the veterinarian to be put down because they have been neglected. And they have been neglected because they are forbidden to touch their dog. Bizarre and very, very sad.
In Tehran, under the new law, people walking dogs will have their dog confiscated and they will be fined. Also driving with your dog in your car is banned.
“It is forbidden to drive dogs around in cars and, if this is not observed, serious police action will be taking against the car owners in question”
Brig-Gen Rahimi
It seems that Iran’s Conservative authorities consider the concept of dog ownership to be a Western import. In 2010, the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance prohibited the publishing of advertisements for pets or pet-related products.
Perhaps the ban on dog walking in Tehran is a publicity stunt to reject Western values, driven by the current dispute over Trump’s sanctions. Of course, dogs in Iran suffer as a consequence but this is beside the point in the eyes of the authorities of this country.
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