TEHRAN: Iranian police have shut down 547 restaurants and cafes in Tehran for not observing “Islamic principles”, the capital’s police chief said on Saturday.

“The owners of restaurants and cafes in which Islamic principles were not observed were confronted, and during this operation 547 businesses were closed and 11 offenders arrested,” Hossein Rahimi said, quoted on the police’s website. Fars news agency said the operation was carried out over the past 10 days. The infractions included “unconventional advertising in cyberspace, playing illegal music and debauchery”, Fars reported. “Observing Islamic principles is... one of the police’s main missions and responsibilities,” the police chief said.

Also on Saturday, the head of Tehran’s guidance court,which deals with “cultural crimes and social and moral corruption”, called on Tehran citizens to report cases of “immoral behaviour” by texting a designated phone number.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2019