Posted on 07/17/2025 8:58:37 AM PDT by MtnClimber
The ruling elites of the Islamic Republic of Iran are not known worldwide for their friendly, sunny dispositions; in fact, they have a long and ever-growing list of pet hates, including America, Israel, women (at least if their heads are uncovered and they’re out in public), and man’s other best friend, dogs. The ruling Iranian mullahs have now extended a ban that was already in effect in over twenty Iranian cities to the entire country: it is now against the law to walk the dog. That means, of course, that while private ownership of dogs as pets is ostensibly permitted in Iran, it has for all intents and purposes been outlawed.
Wamiz, a French-language sitedevoted to news of our four-legged friends, reported on Tuesday that anyone walking a dog “on the streets of Iran now risks more than just a fine – and it’s all down to deeply religious reasons.” Walking a dog has been illegal for years in Tehran and many other cities, and now there is nowhere in the entire Islamic Republic that you can take your dog for a walk and not risk running afoul of the nation’s feared morality police.
The ban is designed, according to Iranian authorities, to “maintain public order, ensure security and protect public health.” Wamiz, however, notes that “critics suspect a cultural-political message behind the crackdown.” This because for many Islamic hardliners in Iran, having a dog as a pet is not just unclean, but also shows that the dog owner has succumbed to the Satanic lure of the Western lifestyle. There are few things one can do to arouse more suspicion among Iranian authorities.
Owning a dog is such a bad thing to do in the Islamic Republic of Iran that the Ayatollah Khamenei himself has emphasized that “keeping dogs for reasons other than herding, hunting, and guard dogs is to be considered reprehensible.” He explained that “walking dogs damages Islamic culture as well as hygiene and the peace of others.”
Why would walking a dog damage Islamic culture? Quite simply, because Islam hates dogs. This goes for Shi’ite Islam, the dominant religion of Islam, as well as Sunni Islam, to which the overwhelming majority of Muslims worldwide adhere. Shi’ite collections of Muhammad’s words and deeds attribute quotes to him including “It is detestable for a Muslim to allow a dog to live in his house” (Al-Kafi H 12735, ch. 12, h 1); “Whoever keeps a dog, every day one qirat (a certain unit of measurement) is reduced from the (good) deeds of his owner” (Al-Kafi H 12736, ch. 12, h 2); and “There is nothing good in dogs except hunting dogs or that which guards cattle.” (Al-Kafi 12738, Ch. 12, h 4)
And so, Wamiz says, while “officially, keeping dogs isn’t banned in Iran, but anyone who has a four-legged friend lives an increasingly dangerous life.” The Iranian authorities are notorious, and feared and hated, worldwide for killing a woman they had arrested, Mahsa Amini, for not wearing her headscarf properly. In light of that and so many other incidents like it, it is no small matter for ordinary citizens even to consider flouting the rules of the regime. And those rules appear to be forever multiplying: “Authorities have repeatedly issued bans in recent years that prohibit taking dogs in cars or to parks or public spaces.”
Even more maddening for dog owners is the fact that the morality police aren’t consistent. Whether or not someone gets away with walking the dog may come down to something as trivial as the identity of the morality cop on duty on any given morning, or even his mood that day. “Enforcement is often arbitrary. Sometimes they turn a blind eye, sometimes they crack down hard.” All in all, however, the Islamic Republic is not trending toward tolerance: “Dog owners are increasingly reporting that their animals are being confiscated or threatened.”
Some courageous Iranians are openly defiant: “Many dog owners refuse to be intimidated. Particularly in the capital, Tehran, many owners continue to walk their pets in the open. But this is far from safe.” Because of the emphasis the Iranian authorities have placed on this ban, “dog walks in Iran may now be seen as a political act. Daily walks with a canine companion have become a cultural battle.” As is so much else in the increasingly paranoid and defensive Islamic Republic.
If Muslims hate dogs so much, why did Obama eat dogs?
How on earth will they ever catch blue fish.
It’s not hate, it’s FEAR!
PARTS OF THE UK ARE ALREADY BANNING DOGS
That’s a great story. I guess you know I’m partial to Dobermans. They are a beautiful animal and so sharp. 13 pups, I would have taken all 13 - back in the day! That was brave of your mom to clip their tails...I don’t think I would have tried it. In obedience training, poodles and dobies were on the same page when it came to training; sharp and eager to please - hounds not so much. I’m sure there are some hound owners here who will disagree. There is a regular poster here each morning who has an Australian Heeler - I think I have that right. They are rare but very smart also. My stepson brought his when he came to visit one time and he or she had a tennis ball to play with. They left the house with the dog to take a walk and the dog didn’t have the tennis ball and was told to go back and get it. I was still at the open door and he (it) went back into the house to get it...I stood there with my mouth dropping....There’s a good reason why they’re man’s/woman’s best friend! Smarter than a lot of people - LOL!!
The dogs must be LARGE - not small and yippy posing as dogs! My late husband always said the same thing when he saw a man walking a small dog - “he ought to be ashamed of himself.”
You should see the looks on the faces of Muslims when I’m walking my 90 pound bundle of love Rotten Shepherd. The look of fright is palpable. The dog pays them no mind, she’s too occupied with her walk.
Can a mooselimb sniff out a quail or pheasant bird? I think my labrador retriever Henry is smarter than they are.
Heelers are extremely intelligent dogs.
I had a Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler). Whenever he wished to come inside, he would use his muscular tail to knock on our kitchen door. When he knocked, he sounded just like a human.
Sometimes he would become nervous and get inside our computer room closet and hide. That was a sign to us that a storm was coming. Sure enough, the weather would eventually become stormy. He was more accurate than the meteorologists.
Last April Fools Day, we had to euthanize him after he was struck by an SUV. We really miss that smart and loyal baby.
Amen to all of that
Thanks for sharing those thoughts. They really warm my heart.
Legally allowed or not, wouldn’t you always be worried that one of these people would go Bonkers on you?
I only had that one experience with my stepson’s Blue Heeler. I didn’t think anything could be as great as a Dobie but I also felt the same way when my daughter and her husband took in a Golden Lab!!! He was in their front yard in a bad storm and they took him in and no owner ever came forward so he had found a good home. When we went to their house, he sat on my husband’s feet as tho’ he was telling him he wasn’t going to be allowed to leave until he let him.
What a wonderful animal he was. They discovered he had heart worms and they treated that - probably the reason he had been dropped off in the neighborhood. It was very expensive and some years later he developed cancer and had to be put to sleep. Their vet raised Goldens and he put the dog to sleep at my daughter’s home with our grandson staying home from school and neighbors in attendance...Sounds pretty bizarre but he was a special animal and he knew how much he was loved! And I thought nothing could beat a Dobie for faithfulness!
Having to put a dog to sleep is like saying goodbye to a member of your family. While they’re with you, they never cease to amaze you...and bring so much joy! I think they’re one of the blessings of life.
“”Legally allowed or not, wouldn’t you always be worried that one of these people would go Bonkers on you?””
If you’re referring to walking with a dog anywhere in the Muslim world, and it was a large enough dog, it really wouldn’t matter, would it? I’d bet on the dog!
Don’t need these good people in our country...
Yep.
Dobe nut since 1975 here.
On number 14 currently.
Best. Dogs. Ever.
Yep.
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