Fatwa against Four-leggeds

07 Feb 08

The Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has rankled ayatollahs in the holy city of Qom, Iran by adding to his large retinue four handsome German shephards. Journalists in Tehran reported that the four dogs - each costing 110,000 euros - were brought in by Ahmadinejad to work as guard dogs.

The dogs have raised theological controversy, mainly because Islam considers dogs to be impure. In fact, Iranian authorities banned the walking of dogs on city streets; two-legged companions of four-leggeds faced penalties, fines and ‘detention’ in a pound of the beloved four-pawed.

Some people, sensibly enough, are asking why the president can have dogs while other citizens cannot. Others, however, take the view that the president should not be allowed to keep the guard dogs. Several high-ranking ayatollahs have publicly decried the president’s acquisition of the dogs.

Yikes! Tragic to think of a worldview that rejects the puppyheart.

One Iranian news source noted that “The purchase of these dogs was authorised by a fatwa issued by several ayatollahs who approved the use of these animals if the only goal was to guarantee personal security and not infringe on any religious rule.”

Sadly, it’s not a shared judgement by other religious leaders, for example, those that issued a fatwa authorising police to fine whoever is seen on the street with a puppy.

Awoooo!

Archie