Iran has expanded a ban on walking dogs in public to more than 20 cities, due to concerns over public health, social order and safety, local media reported. The cities where the ban has been imposed include Kermanshah, Ilam, Hamadan, Kerman, Boroujerd, Robat Karim, Lavasanat and Golestan, according to a report by Tehran-based Faraz News. Similar restrictions were first introduced in the capital city of Tehran in 2019, sparking controversy and criticism among citizens.
The Iranian authorities claim that dog walking poses health risks to the public. They also argue that dog walking can lead to safety issues. However, they haven't provided specifics on these concerns.
Authorities have been cracking down on dog owners who violate the ban, leading to arrests and resistance, as per reports.
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Etemad, which is a reformist newspaper, on Sunday quoted an official from Ilam city as saying that "legal action will be taken against violators". The quote didn't have any other details.
The latest measures were aimed at "maintaining public order, ensuring safety and protecting public health", the state newspaper Iran said on Saturday.
As quoted by the Iran newspaper, Abbas Najafi, the prosecutor of the western city of Hamedan, said, "Dog walking is a threat to public health, peace and comfort."
Why is dog walking banned in Iran?
The ban has been imposed through local directives and police orders as no national legislation has been passed. However, there are some articles in Iran's Penal Code and Constitution that enable authorities to impose such bans, which are Article 638 on public morality, Article 688 on threats to public health and Article 40 of the Constitution, which prohibits harm to others.
Some reports have claimed that the ban aims at maintaining social order and upholding the country's official religion, Shia Islam. Some think the ban is a force against Western cultural influence. Many religious scholars believe that petting dogs or coming into contact with their saliva is ritually impure.
"Offenders will face consequences if they are seen walking dogs in parks, public spaces, or carrying them on their vehicles," Khalkhal's public prosecutor, Mozaffar Rezaei in northwest Iran's Ardabil province, said in remarks to Islamic Republic News Agency (ILNA) published Sunday. The ban came into effect on June 6.
