Iran Goes After Dogs And Their Owners
By: Mehrnaz Samimi for Al-Monitor Iran Pulse Posted on June 25.
Thirty dogs have died of starvation and thirst in a dog jail in Kahrizak, a suburb south of Tehran. The shocking news broke just a couple of weeks ago, and was somehow overlooked amid the heat of Irans presidential elections.
All of these dogs had owners. Ahmad-Reza Radan, commander of Tehran's Armed Forces Corps, warned dog owners to refrain from walking them on the streets. He said, "As summer approaches, we will make an effort to stop people from bringing out their dogs in their cars or parading them on the streets to show off. We won't have any of that."
Radan stuck to his word. Dog owners were stopped while driving with their dogs, and the dogs were taken away. People walking dogs did not stand a better chance. My cousin who lives in Tehran owns a small fluffy white dog that was taken away from her as she walked it. The dogs are literally "arrested" and taken to jail. Some are freed through posting bail, others that remain unaccounted for are taken to dog prisons; one of the better known ones is in Kahrizak. Imprisoned dogs are kept in extremely poor conditions, usually among garbage, and often times without adequate food and water.
The Islamic Republic shows great hostility toward dogs. The government claims two reasons for this: the fact that Islam condemns cohabitation with dogs, and the fact that more affluent people could afford to own a dog, and that is troubling since they believe dog owners are generally spoiled rotten, from rich families who dont have real problems. Owning a dog is considered a luxury, one inclined to the West, and that could be reason enough for angering the administration.
Although Islam allows the use of dogs for hunting or herding, it believes dogs to be najes, the religious equivalent of unclean or dirty. In case of a najes person or object, Islam dictates using a certain amount of water to wash away the so-called dirt and ***** which is called "nejasat," the noun for najes. There would simply be no resolution, however, to cleansing an actual source of nejasat. Washing such a source would never shake the dirty material within it, according to Islam. This belief is ingrained in Persian culture and language, and among the majority of Iranians who are Muslim.
The Islamic Republic often takes refuge in Islam and its limitations and regulations to pave the way for justifying and implementing the rules it would like to enforce in society.
Though there are a limited number of veterinarian hospitals and veterinary medicine is taught in some universities in Iran, such amenities albeit necessary are not easily accessible. Dog owners have a tough time finding food for their pets. The other obstacle is the high price of such goods. These elements play a significant role in defining who could practically own and keep a dog. Dog owners generally belong to the upper-middle class or are wealthy, more modern, non-religious Iranians.
Another element that makes the Iranian law enforcement furious is Iranian dogs names. Most dogs bear non-Persian names, and their Western names according to the Islamic Republic are a disgrace.
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Iran Goes After Dogs And Their Owners - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East