14 DAY TRIAL // Buddha Statues have been banned in Iran, with officials confiscating those on inventory from shops in the capital city of Tehran.
The operation is part of an initiative to stop the "cultural invasion" of Iran, by trying to root out elements of foreign belief systems. In this case, they claim that the Buddhist religion is being promoted in the country through the sale of said statues.
The Guardian depicts the Islamic republic's past efforts to fight western influences by banning the sale of such items as Barbie dolls and toys portraying Simpsons characters.
Speaking for an institution in charge of protecting Iran's cultural heritage, Saeed Jaberi Ansari said that they planned to continue the “cleansing” and carry on the operation. There is no report about the number of statues seized so far.
While Islam is the official religion in Iran, the country also recognizes Christianity, Zoroastrianism and the Jewish belief in its constitution.
Some radical Iranian Muslim groups have spoken and acted against the display of any statue in a public place. In 2010, several depictions of Iran's national heroes have been stolen from the streets of Teheran.
The disappearance of the monuments has been attributed to an unnamed group promoting a strict understanding of Islam, in which statues are viewed as a way to promote idols.
However, many Iranians only buy the statues for their aesthetic value, displaying them in their homes as they would any other decorative item.
"As I understand, none of the customers cared about Buddhism, they only bought it for decoration," shopkeeper Reza Sanaei selling the product tells reporters.
"My parents have a set of five Buddha statues at their home simply because they think the statues are beautiful," notes customer Marjan Arbabi, adding that she is not a big fan of the Buddhas herself.