Latest news with #AbbasNajafi
ABC News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Iran expands dog-walking ban, citing 'public health, peace and comfort' concerns
Iranian officials have expanded a ban on dog walking to multiple cities across the country, citing public order, health and safety concerns. The ban echoes a 2019 police order which barred walking dogs in Tehran, and has been expanded to at least 18 other cities in the past week, according to local media. This included Isfahan in the centre and Kerman in the south. Owning and walking dogs has been a contentious issue in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, though there is no law completely banning dog ownership. Many religious scholars consider petting dogs or coming into contact with their saliva as "najis" — ritually impure. Some officials view them as a symbol of Western cultural influence. Local authorities have periodically introduced bans on walking dogs in public spaces or carrying them in vehicles as part of a wider campaign to discourage their ownership. However, enforcing the restrictions has been largely inconsistent, with many owners continuing to walk their dogs in Tehran and elsewhere across the country. On Sunday, local time, the reformist Etemad newspaper quoted an official from Ilam city as saying that "legal action will be taken against violators", without elaborating. The day before, the state newspaper Iran said the latest measures were aimed at "maintaining public order, ensuring safety and protecting public health". "Dog walking is a threat to public health, peace and comfort," Abbas Najafi, prosecutor of the western city of Hamedan, was quoted as saying. In 2021, about 75 lawmakers condemned pet ownership as a "destructive social problem", saying it could "gradually change the Iranian and Islamic way of life". Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has previously said that keeping dogs for reasons other than herding, hunting and guarding is "reprehensible". "If this practise resembles that of non-Muslims, promotes their culture or causes harm and disturbance to neighbours, it is deemed forbidden," he said, according to local media. AFP
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ban on dog walking: Iran extends restriction to more cities; violators warned of legal action
. Iran on Sunday expanded its ban on taking dogs in public, citing public health and security. About 17 Iranian cities had recently banned walking dogs or taking them around in public. An official from Ilam city said, 'legal action will be taken against violators', as quoted by the reformist Etemand newspaper. Meanwhile, Abbas Najafi, the prosecutor of the western city of Hamedan, said, 'Dog walking is a threat to public health, peace, and comfort.' In 2019, a police directive banned walking dogs in public. The ban has been difficult to implement as many owners continue to walk their dogs outside, reported The Guardian. The Iranian state's objection to dogs being in public is not new, and goes back to the 1979 Islamic revolution. There is no outright ban on owning dogs, however. The opposition reportedly stems from religious scholars considering owning dogs un-Islamic. They say that coming in contact with their saliva is najis or impure. Some also see having pets dog as an influence of the western culture. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, in 2017 said, 'Keeping dogs for reasons other than herding, hunting, and guard dogs is considered reprehensible.' He further said: 'If this practice resembles that of non-Muslims, promotes their culture or causes harm and disturbance to neighbours, it is deemed forbidden.' In 2021, 75 lawmakers condemned owning pets, calling it a "destructive social problem". They said it could 'gradually change the Iranian and Islamic way of life'.
Gulf Insider
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Iran Extends Ban on Dog-walking for ‘public Order
Iranian authorities have expanded a ban on walking dogs in public to many cities nationwide, citing public health, social order and safety concerns, domestic media have reported. The ban, which echoes a 2019 police directive that barred walking dogs in Tehran, was expanded to Ilam city in the west on Sunday, according to reports. At least 17 other cities have introduced similar bans in recent days, including Isfahan in the centre and Kerman in the south. Owning and walking dogs has been a contentious subject since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, though there is no law banning dog ownership outright. Many religious scholars, however, consider petting dogs or coming into contact with their saliva as najis , or ritually impure, while some officials view pet dogs as a symbol of western cultural influence. Local authorities have periodically introduced bans on walking dogs in public spaces or carrying them in vehicles as part of a wider campaign to discourage their ownership. Enforcing the restrictions has been inconsistent, as many owners continue to walk their dogs in Tehran and elsewhere across Iran. On Sunday, the reformist Etemad newspaper quoted an official from Ilam city as saying 'legal action will be taken against violators', without elaborating. 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.' According to Tasnim news agency, Khamenei added: 'If this practice resembles that of non-Muslims, promotes their culture or causes harm and disturbance to neighbours, it is deemed forbidden.' Also read: Iran Furious At 'Racist' US Travel Ban Targeting Muslim Nations
NDTV
09-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Why Is Dog Walking Prohibited In Iran? Authorities Extend The Ban To More Cities
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. 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.
Arab News
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Iranian authorities expand ban on dog walking
TEHRAN: Iranian authorities have expanded a ban on walking dogs in public to multiple cities nationwide, citing public health, social order and safety concerns, domestic media reported on Sunday. The ban —which echoes a 2019 police directive that barred walking dogs in Tehran — was expanded to Ilam city in the west on Sunday, according to reports. At least 17 other cities recently introduced similar bans, including Isfahan in the center and Kerman in the south. Owning and walking dogs has been a contentious topic since the 1979 revolution in Iran, though there is no law outrightly banning dog ownership. Many religious scholars, however, consider petting dogs or coming into contact with their saliva as "najis" or ritually impure, while some officials view them as a symbol of Western cultural influence. Local authorities have periodically introduced bans on walking dogs in public spaces or carrying them in vehicles as part of a wider campaign to discourage their ownership. Enforcing the restrictions has been largely inconsistent, as many owners continue to walk their dogs in Tehran and elsewhere across Iran. On Sunday, the Etemad newspaper quoted an official from Ilam city as saying that "legal action will be taken against violators." On Saturday, a state newspaper said the latest measures are aimed at "maintaining public order, ensuring safety and protecting public health." "Dog walking is a threat to public health, peace and comfort," said Abbas Najafi, prosecutor of the western city of Hamedan, as quoted by Iran newspaper. In 2021, some 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, Ali Khamenei, said that "keeping dogs for reasons other than herding, hunting, and guard dogs is considered reprehensible." "If this practice resembles that of non-Muslims, promotes their culture, or causes harm and disturbance to neighbours, it is deemed forbidden," he added.
