Iran International - July 15, 2021: A hardliner newspaper in Iran, Kayhan, financed and supervised by the office of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said Thursday that walking dogs in public places is a “fundamental problem” for the country.
Kayhan called walking dogs in public a product of “western lifestyle” among Iranians and demanded that judicial, police and local officials strongly confront the practice.
Shiite clerics teach their followers that dogs are “Najes” or filthy and a good Muslim should not touch them or keep them as a pet.
In recent days police have started to confront people walking their dogs in streets and parks. In one incident which became viral on social media two police officers assaulted a dog owner and one even aimed his gun at the man.
A group calling itself “Student Justice Seekers” has surfaced in recent days preventing people form taking their dogs to parks. The usual reason mentioned is that dogs pose a danger to children.
Tehran’s city council Sunday adopted a law to restrict the presence of dogs in public places and the police announced it is a priority to stop dog walking in the capital.
Kayhan in a front-page article has criticized city council's plan, saying it is weak and insufficient to stop the presence of dogs outside homes. People living in a crowded metropolis and in apartments face a serious challenge in keeping their pets.