When Madness Rules

In the land of the Mullahs, no laws ever seem too stupid or too repressive as hardliners like to expose their iron fist of control over the people ....

Iranians Increasingly Owned Dogs As Pets

 ... so in the Iranian capital, Tehran, police recently announced that walking dogs in parks was a crime and justified the ban as being a measure to "protect the safety of the public".

This is just the advance rule for yet another persecution of its own citizens as the Iranian parliament is considering approval of the 'Protection of the Public's Rights Against Animals' bill, which would restrict pet ownership across the board.

Under this bill, pet ownership would be subject to a permit issued by a 'special committee'. There would also be a minimum fine of around $800 (790 euros; £670) for the "import, purchase and sale, transportation and keeping" of a range of animals, including common pets such as cats (including Persian cats), turtles, rabbits, even crocodiles are mentioned.

Dr Payam Mohebi, the president of the Iran Veterinary Association (and an opponent of the bill), said that more than a decade ago, "When a group of Iranian MPs tried to promote a law to confiscate all dogs and give them to zoos or leave them in deserts. Over the years, they have changed this a couple of times and even discussed corporal punishment for dog owners. But their plan didn't get anywhere." ... but apparently that's about to change soon.

After the Mullahs came to power in 1979 Islamic Revolution, many preached that dogs are impure in their interpretation of Islamic tradition. In the eyes of their new regime, dogs also became a symbol of the "Westernisation" that it has sought to curb. So in many cities, police spasmodically and randomly arrested people for walking their dogs, or even carrying them in their cars based on their interpretation of what could be seen as symbols of Westernisation.

The regime banned the import of pet food several years ago, and an illegal trade in foreign brands has developed as locally produced pet food is not up to standard. Once you descend in to rule by madmen, then the slope in to backwardness gets ever steeper. and the slide ever faster.

Will the Iranians ever rise up successfully against this corrupt regime? Its hard to imagine at the moment as the protests of the last year are bloodily suppressed as usual, but then we have said that about other regimes who appeared to be in full control, until one little spark has suddenly ignited a people who have felt like they no longer have anything to lose, and rise up. 

There have been a number of rioting incidents in Iran over recent years, all of which have been violently suppressed ... they started late in 2019 in what became known as 'Bloody November,' but stuttered out under mass arrests and killings over the next few days, weeks and months.

Last year has also seen spasmodic protests, starting in May 2022 over the economic problems of the regime, with state food and fuel subsidies being cut, as the regime prefers to continue its nuclear bomb project over the welfare of its people (very much like North Korea). The collapse of the ten story Metropol building in Abadan, on May 23, 2022, sparked the protests as locals blamed the deaths of at least 37 people, and serious injuries to many more on corruption and negligence ... the protests, in which clerics were angrily shouted down, were later bizarrely blamed on 'foreign enemies',  Iran’s supreme leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said “Today, the enemies’ most important hope for striking a blow at the country is based on popular protests." .... then there were the Hijab riots, but as promised by hardline President Ebrahim Raisi was "dealt with decisively."

Its like they just play the same old broken record every time .... but all their woes stem from the regimes actions:

• Its sponsoring of terrorist groups in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and elsewhere.
• Its nuclear program, which is clearly aimed at producing weapons grade material to threaten its neighbours (especially Israel, and to a lesser degree Saudi Arabia), which many believe will end in a nuclear exchange, or even a world war.
• It's practice of foreign hostage taking, to bargain with internationally is illegal but as they have had some successes continues.
• The sanctions imposed because of those nuclear and hostages have caused great economic hardships, but the regime refuses to change tack.
  
• Its rampant clerically corruption, which has seen many mullahs become very wealthy, some even multi millionaires, while the rest of the population has suffered.
• The continued promotion of extremely repressive laws, especially against women and minorities.
• The very harsh punishments for opposition, including beatings, extra judicial and judicial killings, torture, live gas rounds and bullets in the streets.
• The mishandling of health crises such as the Covid pandemic, where its believed that many thousands died unrecorded, on top of the semi official figure of around 142 thousand deaths.
  

 ... they seem hell bent on reaching some point on the road where the country is either facing attack, or collapse ... which will leave it citizens with few choices. The flames of rebellion have flickered a few times over the last few years, but never quite erupted, and violent crackdowns have put the lid on again ... whether the regime can continue to do this over and over again is not clear ... but killing peoples pets, may ironically be the spark that sets up the combustion of a real rebellion. 

Its often the smallest thing, piled upon decades of built up resentment and hate, that finally kicks of a regimes real collapse. In Tunisia 2010, a vegetable or apple cart vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself ablaze and died after a dispute with officials over his licence or lack of one ... the protests and the governments harsh response brought down the regime.