A clergyman in Iran says two women hit him with their car after he admonished them for bringing a dog to a park near his home.

In Iran, clergymen and ordinary people are allowed to confront people who violate the dress code or engage in any behavior in public that is deemed contrary to local Islamic rules. Pets, specially dogs are considered “dirty” and authorities often forbid owners to walk their dogs in certain areas.

The clergyman, Abolhassan Kayhani from a town in the western Hamadan province told local media that when he confronted the two women, one of them began verbally abusing him, saying it is not his business that they are walking the dog in the park.

When Kayhani dialed the police number to ask for help, the women got into their car and began to drive away, running him over. He said that he was knocked over and lost consciousness. He is currently recovering from his injuries.

The clergyman is the head of the local Islamic Propaganda office. It is not clear when the incident took place.

This is not the first time that angry citizens attack clergymen or religious people who admonish them for their behavior. Usually, such incidents happen over disputes involving improper hijab.

There have been many reports and video clips on social media showing women confronting female morality police officers.

Five years ago parliament passed a law, against the wishes of the presidential administration, to protect people who enforce religious rules.

With the increasing popularity of dogs as pets, there have been more confrontations between police and dog owners in recent years.