Iran extends ban on dog-walking for ‘public order, security and well being’

[ad_1] Iranian authorities have expanded a ban on strolling canines in public to many cities nationwide, citing public well being, social order and security issues, home media have reported.

The ban, which echoes a 2019 police directive that barred strolling canines in Tehran, was expanded to Ilam metropolis within the west on Sunday, based on studies.

At the least 17 different cities have launched related bans in latest days, together with Isfahan within the centre and Kerman within the south.

Proudly owning and strolling canines has been a contentious subject for the reason that 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, although there isn't any legislation banning canine possession outright.

Many non secular students, nonetheless, contemplate petting canines or coming into contact with their saliva as najis , or ritually impure, whereas some officers view pet canines as a logo of western cultural affect.

Native authorities have periodically launched bans on strolling canines in public areas or carrying them in autos as a part of a wider marketing campaign to discourage their possession.

Imposing the restrictions has been inconsistent, as many homeowners proceed to stroll their canines in Tehran and elsewhere throughout Iran.

On Sunday, the reformist Etemad newspaper quoted an official from Ilam metropolis as saying “authorized motion will likely be taken towards violators”, with out elaborating.

On Saturday, the state newspaper Iran mentioned the most recent measures have been geared toward “sustaining public order, making certain security and defending public well being”.

Abbas Najafi, the prosecutor of the western metropolis of Hamedan, was quoted by the Iran newspaper, as saying: “Canine strolling is a menace to public well being, peace and luxury.”

In 2021, 75 lawmakers condemned pet possession as a “harmful social downside”, saying it might “regularly change the Iranian and Islamic lifestyle”.

In 2017, Iran’s supreme chief, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, mentioned: “Maintaining canines for causes apart from herding, searching and guard canines is taken into account reprehensible.”

In keeping with Tasnim information company, Khamenei added: “If this observe resembles that of non-Muslims, promotes their tradition or causes hurt and disturbance to neighbours, it's deemed forbidden.”