Iran bans pet advertisements following fatwa

Following a fatwa issued by cleric Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance decided to ban all advertisements for pets, pet food and other pet products, the Telegraph reported Thursday.

In June, Ayatollah Shirazi declared dogs unclean, saying that dog owners were “blindly imitating the West” and that their devotion to the animals would result in “evil outcomes”.

“Many people in the West love their dogs more than their wives and children,” he said.

According to the UK newspaper's report, the ban on pet advertising is the latest attempt by Iran’s culture ministry to undermine “decadent” Western culture.

Keeping dogs as pets has become increasingly fashionable in Iran in recent years, said the report.

An Iranian analyst told Abu Dhabi-based newspaper The National, "The regime can't prevent the Iranian public from purchasing expensive cars, clothes or jewelry, but they can prevent people from flaunting their wealth by declaring that dogs are unclean."

An Iranian pet shop owner told the Los Angeles Times that the sale of small dogs, which can be hidden easily, has increased.

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