Thirty-nine of Iran’s 290 deputies or one-eighth of them have introduced legislation to ban dogs from all public places and even from privately-owned apartments.
Dogs are considered “unclean” by many practicing Muslims and a number of clerics have campaigned against dogs as pets. However, in recent years, man’s best friend has started to appear in some wealthier districts of northern Tehran, where the people often seem to like to twit the clerical establishment and ruling conservatives by doing the opposite of what that establishment prefers.
The bill states: “Walking dangerous, unhealthy or unclean animals such as dogs in public places and public transport is forbidden.” The bill specifies that violators will be fined the equivalent of $100 to $500 and that “their animal will be confiscated.”
Similarly, the draft bill states that “it is forbidden to keep such animals in an apartment.” It would appear that dog lovers would only be allowed to keep a dog inside a home or residential compound.
A few years ago, the police responded to clerical anger by announcing that dogs could not be carried in cars or walked in public places, but that order is rarely enforced.
According to the state news agency, the core issue is not health or the cleanliness of dogs, which is the argument most used by the clergy, but the cultural impact. The deputies pushing the bill, said the state news agency, wish to take on the growing number of people who “own dogs and walk them in public, which has become a problem for society and represents a blind imitation of vulgar Western culture.”