Ruminations

Blog dedicated primarily to randomly selected news items; comments reflecting personal perceptions

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Dangers of Unhealthy, Unclean Minds

There are some societies, simply put, for whom basic rights of the people themselves fall far short of respect. There is that old adage that the values of a society can be assessed by the manner in which the most vulnerable within it are treated. In some countries of the world like Italy and other places in Europe, including Canada's far north, hunting dogs are prized and cared for and used for a time; during the hunting season. After which they are let loose and must care for themselves.

In so doing they become a menace to society, for they become feral, form hunting packs and look for food sources wherever they become available. Like wild animals on the prowl, seeking to extend their lives, they present as an affront to farmers by attacking their livestock. The pack will not hesitate to attack young children. And then the dogs are hunted and killed and their nuisance factor nullifies any concerns about the brutality meted out to them.

At one time in the very near past, within China famine stalked the land, and any source of food was avidly welcomed and hunted. Even yet cat and dog meat is a favoured dish in parts of the country. At one time there were no birds to be heard singing for they were trapped, caught, eaten, along with locusts, caterpillars and aquatic life of any description to assuage peoples' dreadful hunger to survive.

None of these contingencies appear to exist in modern Iran. So geographically close to Egypt, where in antiquity foxes, jackals, dogs and cats were worshipped, attributed the worshipful status of deities, half-animal-half-human - honoured and respected. In Iran as in many modern Muslim countries dogs are considered to be unclean, their presence barely tolerated.

Now it seems a motion to ban dogs has been tabled in the parliament of the Islamist Republic of Iran. Cultural norms sometimes become altered when there is exposure to events and to values that are clearly otherwise in other parts of the world. Dogs have been increasingly seen as having companionship value, particularly in wealthy parts of Tehran with people walking their pets in parks.

No more may they engage in such clearly un-Islamic behaviour. Walking "dangerous, unhealthy or unclean animals such as dogs in places and upon public transport is forbidden", the newly-introduced bill states. Offenders will be fined $100 to $500 in penalties, and "their animal will be confiscated". This is a country with a death penalty especially reserved for gays and political opponents of the state.

Confiscated animals will be destroyed. For there will be nowhere, legally, for would-be dog-lovers and -owners to maintain their domestic pets. Since the draft bill goes on to state "it is forbidden to keep such animals in an apartment". The police have not enforced a current law that forbids dogs from cars and from being walked in public places. That is obviously set to change.

What else to expect from rancid minds twisted by deep-seated paranoia. One can only wonder how many Iranians would prefer to ban dangerous, unhealthy, unclean ruling Ayatollahs and their supporting elite Islamist politicians.

Labels: , ,

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home

 
()() Follow @rheytah Tweet