Haik- from-Iran-iDespite the teachings of Islam and the kindness that the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) showed towards animals – including dogs, the Iranian government have imposed various bans and penalties on dog ownership and handling, and, more drastically, a large campaign has been underway to destroy all stray dogs.

The members of the general public in Iran have also been encouraged to undertake killings of dogs, and are even being rewarded for it.  Many such inhumane attempts result in prolonged suffering for the hapless victims.

Many of us understand and respect the Islamic views on dogs and their cleanliness.  However, as citizens with no affiliations other than to our conscience, we also value life bestowed by God, and consider sinful acts that inflict suffering upon animals.  Therefore, we ask the Iranian government to stop any unnecessary taking of dogs’ lives, and refrain from causing needless suffering for these animals.  We feel that the issue of lack of cleanliness of stray dogs and their presence in and around towns and cities should be viewed in the light of a larger picture of hygiene in the Iranian society, where not enough attention has been paid to other health-related matters such as general food safety, disposal of clinical and hospital waste, road safety, air pollution, contamination of rivers and reservoirs that feed into waters that are used for public consumption, etc.
  

We believe that the decision to destroy stray dogs in Iran has been taken as an easy choice and without any proper assessment of other possible options.  In view of the gravity of the matter, we therefore urge the Iranian government to review their course of action, and show the merci that was shown to them by the Prophet of Islam (PBUH).  Their on-going actions do very little for their image both within and outside Iranian borders.  We sincerely urge the Iranian government to undertake consultations with animal welfare groups and societies both within and outside Iran to find better and more humane ways of tackling the problem of stray dogs in Iran.

Source : Payvand