I notice into today’s newspapers that the Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi has issued an edict which will send dog lovers into a panic – especially if they live in Iran.
The Ayatollah has condemned Iranian dog-owners as misguided people infatuated with decadence and who are “blindly imitating the West.” He warns us all that owning a dog will lead to “evil outcomes.”
Well I know about the rather unfortunate and evil smelling canine outcomes that I have to dodge sometimes on the street or in the park, not here in Lewes I hasten to add, but I am not quite so clear on what the grand old man is getting at.
We are all aware, I am sure, of those people who take their love for their pet to extremes but generally speaking dogs are great additions to our lives who deserve all the love that we can bestow on them.
Ayatollah Shirazi goes on to say that one of the “evil outcomes” of loving your dog is that you might start preferring them to your husband:
Your wife:
or even, just imagine, your children:
Well, Ayatollah Shirazi, I like dogs and human beings too – maybe you should stop all this hating it can be very stressful.
The Iranian government takes their Ayatollahs very seriously though so they have announced, on Shirazi’s advice, a ban on all advertisements for pets, pet shops, pet food and other pet products. It is amazing what you can ban when you put your mind to it.
Now, ladies, don’t look at the photograph below……
Last week, another Ayatollah warned women against watching wrestling on television because it can “sow the seeds of lust.” You have been warned.
Now, for those of you who have been following the story of my computer problems, you will be pleased to know that this the first blog that I have written on my wondrously beautiful new iMac computer but don’t look at the picture below, it might sow the seeds of lust – I am already in love with it.