I really, really despise the Ayatollahs of Iran.

[Coventina]

They are trying to BAN pet dogs!!!!

Pure evil!!!!

Iran extends ban on dog-walking for ‘public order, safety and health’

***snip***


On Saturday, the state newspaper Iran said the latest measures were aimed at “maintaining public order, ensuring safety and protecting public health”.

Abbas Najafi, the prosecutor of the western city of Hamedan, was quoted by the Iran newspaper, as saying: “Dog walking is a threat to public health, peace and comfort.”

In 2021, 75 lawmakers condemned pet ownership as a “destructive social problem”, saying it could “gradually change the Iranian and Islamic way of life”.

In 2017, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said: “Keeping dogs for reasons other than herding, hunting and guard dogs is considered reprehensible.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/08/iran-has-extended-ban-on-walking-dogs-in-public-reports-say

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Of course they are evil because they are anti-woman and anti-LGBTQ+
But such regimes are a dime a dozen.

But saying dogs are "reprehensible?" That's a unique kind of evil.
Congrats Iran!!!

[markodochartaigh]

1. I despised the shah as well and fervently disagreed

with the US and UK in placing him as leader of Iran. In fact the last Iranian leader that I liked was Mossadegh, although I have no idea what he thought about dogs.

[fujiyamasan]

4. The shah is old news at this point

The Shah was a garden variety thug. The ayatollah and his minions are a million times worse, especially when it comes to the rights of women. It will be a great day for Iran when they are deposed.

[JI7]

7. The Islamic regime is worse. The people of Iran prefer the Shah over

what they have now.

[haele]

2. A lot of tribal cultures in the middle/central East consider it unclean to keep a dog for other than working

Dogs in the house are messy and "unhealthy", we unless well trained, they defecate anywhere and will steal food when they feel like it.
They're considered tools, like a horse or goat - or human servant. Not members of the family.

[Coventina]

3. I'm going to push back on that a bit. For a dog's presence to be "unhealthy" requires

poor housekeeping by any reasonable measure.

And, dogs to not defecate "anywhere" unless sick, extremely stressed, or very young puppies.
They have a desire to keep their home (den) clean of such refuse.

Also, dogs to not steal food when they feel like it, unless they have never been trained not to do so.
If dogs stole whenever they felt like it, there would be no such thing as hunting dogs.

Just because some cultures consider dogs unclean does not make it true.

Just like some cultures consider menstruating women unclean doesn't make it true.

Not all cultural beliefs are sacred or should be considered so.

[haele]

5. Agreed, just pointing out the explanation given by those who push the "tradition"...

It's all about social control in that particular culture - like ritual bathing, menstrual huts, prohibitions against certain foods...
Some tribal leader was afraid of dogs, and had to come up with an excuse to make them "unclean" so he didn't have to deal with them unless they were closely controlled as a tool. Because he sure as hell couldn't get his subjects to give up their herding and guard dogs.
Just like others with Mommy or Daddy issues had to control their women and children.
And the "tradition" was continued.

[haele]

6. No problem, just saying what the explanation was from what I'd been told.

It's all about social control in that particular culture - like ritual bathing, menstrual huts, prohibitions against certain foods...
Some tribal leader was afraid of dogs, and had to come up with an excuse to make them "unclean" so he didn't have to deal with them unless they were closely controlled as a tool. Because he sure as hell couldn't get his subjects to give up their herding and guard dogs.
Just like others with Mommy or Daddy issues had to control their women and children.
And the "tradition" was continued.