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| Happiness is a happy dog |
Last week Iran banned all advertisements in the country for pets, pet shops, pet food and other pet products, claiming that people's love for their dogs and cats may lead to "evil outcomes."
The edict, announced by Iran's powerful Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, is based on a fatwa issued by Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, 86, a hardliner who lives in Iran’s holy city of Qom.
Declaring dogs in particular to be unclean under Sharia, he condemned Iranian dog owners for “blindly imitating the West” and warned that their infatuation would lead to “evil outcomes,” according to the state-run Mehr news agency.
“Many people in the West love their dogs more than their wives and children,” the Grand Ayatollah declared. Oh, really? Does the Ayatollah know this for a fact? As I write this I picture a cloistered and austere ivory tower cleric making bold statements about things he doesn't understand properly. Perhaps he's never known the simple pleasure that comes from a dog's affectionate lick, the therapeutic benefits of patting a dog, or having a dog nudge your hand to pat it.
Owning pets, particularly dogs, has become increasingly popular in recent years among Iran’s wealthy urban elite, many of whom loathe the present regime. The police sometimes stop people for walking their dogs in parks and other public places.
What a killjoy. He sounds very cold and austere.
3 comments:
One wonders what the level of animal cruelty might be in Iran - particularly after this fatwa. Iran seems not to worry about treating their own species cruelty so one assumes there is no consideration for other species either.
Blessings and bliss
Brigid
That's UNBELIVABLE!! Declaring dogs to be unclean under Sharia.
How would the regime in Iran feel about the latest commercial for My Dog dog food?
Watch this tonight during Better Homes and Gardens.
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