Rarely, even in 2023, a cleric from Iran attract huge crowds of loyal… Instagram followers.

And yet, Syed Mahdi Tabatabaei managed to do this simply by doing a good, although not obvious, deed, saving homeless animals in defiance of local taboos.

The turbaned Shia cleric regularly posts stories to his more than 80,000 followers about the neglected and abused dogs he rescues and cares for at his shelter.

His young, digital… flock is constantly asking for updates and news, sending wishes to him and his life in the hundreds of comments that traditionally accompany each of his posts.

In some parts of the Muslim world, dogs are considered “unclean”, so they are chased away, at best by screaming, chasing them with sticks and throwing stones, at worst by shooting or poisoning them if they fail to control them. homeless population.

Theocratic regime of Iran sees dogs as pets as a sign of Western decadenceand hardliners are pushing for laws that would even ban walking dogs in public with their guardians.

However, all this did not stop Tabatabai from opening a shelter in Koma, a city with many large religious schools and mosques, where he takes care of street animals until they get back on their feet. He became an unlikely advocate for animal rights in a society deeply divided over the role of religion in public life.

Islam forbids cruelty to animals and encourages the care and feeding of those in need. In Middle Eastern countries, it is customary to take food and water outside for stray cats, but in Iran, dogs are often shot and poisoned by citizens or even authorities.

The religious establishment, which has ruled the country since 1979 and after the Islamic Revolution, has declared dogs “unclean” and discourages citizens from owning pets. However, many young Iranians ignore the recommendations.

Tabatabai, an animal lover who wears black Shia turban – symbolizing that he is a descendant of the prophet Muhammadseeks to fill this gap.

“It’s interesting and a bit weird for them to see a religious figure doing things like that. My videos seem to make a good impression on people. As they say, from watching the videos you feel a wave of goodness, peace and friendship,” he says.

“We rescue dogs with disabilities who cannot survive on the street and have a hard time finding a home to take them in. I personally took care of many of them by restoring them. They stay here until they fully recover and regain their strength,” he adds.

He himself takes care of his animals and cleans their cages, but not in his religious clothes, but in his civilian clothes. He maintains his shelter with donations from animal lovers from Iran as well as from abroad.

Source: Associated Press.