Iran Cracks Down on Dogs, Necklaces

A file picture dated 23 April 2007, shows Iranian policemen warn women about their clothing and hairstyle, during a crackdown to enforce Islamic dress code in Tehran, Iran.

Owning dogs has been abolished in Iran, since it is considered "a blind imitation of the vulgar culture of the West."

The measure is included in the country's new moral security plan adopted by the Parliament. It will also stop men from wearing necklaces and Western-style haircuts.

The measures are supposed to battle "the Western cultural invasion", the Islamic Republic News Agency explains.

"The enforcement of the moral security plan was requested by the nation and it will be continued until people's concerns are properly addressed," Ahmadreza Radan, deputy police commander, told The Guardian newspaper.

Tens of thousands of "moral policemen" are walking in Tehran watching for women potentially exposing any skin as summer temperatures rise, UPI reports.

A large number of women and men were detained Wednesday as a result of the crackdown.