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They're Just So Cute!

LEAVE FIDO ALONE! Iran's war on dogs and dog clothes escalates

IRGC-affiliated media has been calling for a crackdown on pet stores, using health as the excuse to ban pets considered impure in Islam.

Dog with hat. Illustration.
Photo: Pixel-Shot/Shutterstock

IRGC-linked Fars News recently called on state authorities to shut down pet supply stores selling clothes and accessories for pets such as cats and dogs, according to Iran International.

Fars News said that a group of readers made the request on unspecified health grounds, the same grounds made by the Iranian Parliament to outright ban the selling and ownership of pets in 2021.

According to Iran International, "dogs are generally considered 'najis' or 'impure' in Islam and banned in public places by some majority-Muslim countries including Saudi Arabia."

Islamic authorities in Iran consider dogs to be a dangerous western influence to be banned within the country, despite pets' increasing popularity not only on farms but also within major cities, "despite occasional police crackdowns."

This is not the only kind of western indulgence Iran is trying to eliminate or reduce within the country.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared toys to be a "cultural invasion which do not conform to Iranian culture and contain western influence" in June of last year. He continued to be concerned about their harmful influence despite crackdowns which halved their number - including Barbie dolls.

The popularity of K-Pop is another source of concern for the religiously and socially conservative Iranian leadership. Iran's Cultural Minister asked "Where did we go wrong and where are we going wrong, that we are changing Iran's musical taste in this way?" in an interview two months ago.

Despite the religiously conservative country's restrictions on western culture reaching the country, young Iranians have found ways to celebrate K-Pop via online platforms and social media. Indeed, they not only celebrate the music but also other aspects of Korean culture such as fashion and even language.

It would appear that despite such pleas and efforts by the legal authorities, the demand for western culture is too strong for the powerful Iranian religious authorities to entirely overcome.

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