Newsbrief: Iran Wants to Ban Water Pipes 7/2/04 Iranian authorities have targeted hookahs, or water pipes, as part of a crackdown on immorality, Reuters reported last week. While Iranian police said the ban was part of an effort to ban smoking in public, other officials suggested it was a move by religious police to prevent any slippage in the country's strictly enforced public morality. The water pipes, which are used to smoke fruit-flavored tobacco (sometimes sprinkled with hashish by adventurous young people) in a convivial social setting, are ubiquitous, not only in Iran, but across the Middle East. Hookah cafes (not serving hash) have even opened in US cities ranging from Pittsburgh to San Diego in recent years. "According to Health Ministry directives, the ban on water pipes will be implemented," said Health Ministry official Hassan Azaripour. Restaurant owners and patrons faced fines if caught puffing, he added. But apparently some hookahs are more equal than others. According to Tehran prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi, his agents would not be targeting traditional eateries where hookahs are de rigeuer. Instead, he said, they are targeting mingling of the sexes in cafes and clubs and women who flout strict Islamic dress codes. "Of course we will be rigorous in dealing with the promoters of vice and fornication," he said. According to Reuters, restaurateurs in a tourist zone north of Tehran were packing their pipes into boxes last week. But in an old-style restaurant in central Tehran, diners continued to suck on the hookahs despite the supposed ban. When asked by Reuters why authorities had banned the pipes, a waiter there tapped his finger against his temple. "They are mad," he said. The waiter's boss, restaurant manager Iraj, agreed that the ban was misplaced. "It is not vice," he said. "People are scared of these men who quote the Koran to make law, but vice is not in external things like water pipes. Vice is in your own heart." http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/344/iran.shtml
This is Bull Shit no sense why they would ban water pipes..to many people make a big deal about smoking in public..its stupid..if u dont smoke dont go to a public place that allows smoking..some mother fuckers like to ruin shit for everyone else.
maybe they should worry more about the real water pipes that will deliver potable water to them.... instead of getting it outta the river with dead bodies floating by, and just leave bongs alone....wtf do they care... they got way bigger problems besides bongs
They already cant drink over there i mean come on, this just goes to show you how frekin nuts they are. Religous and police should never be in the same sentence. I feel bad for those poor people living in fear like that.
if i ever went to such a shit country i would walk off the plane smoking the fattest blunt ever... no smoking in public? fuck off raghead cunts...
Epic fucking bump there... Anyway Iran is such a messed up country that I'm surprised water pipes are legal. Women have to walk around with garbs on. Muslims... LOL
Exactly lol you all are morons, I'm Iranian and 99.9% of Iranians don't wear turbans. But the country is going to shit I couldn't agree more. I did smoke a joint over there once lolololol nastiest bud EVER.
WTF !! i rather to smoke an oz of weed than 1 hit of sheesha.. my friend iran is not going down. U must understand that God is protecting Iran, cz they are on the right path