http://www.jihadwatch.org/2016/01/four-iranian-christians-prosecuted-for-spreading-christianity
Posted on 03/18/2016 12:53:58 AM PDT by nickcarraway
The Islamic Republic of Iran has hit the highest rate of executing people since the year 1989. The official number indicates that Iran executed nearly two times more people in 2015 in comparison to 2010 when the hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was in office, as well as roughly 10 times more than the number of executions in 2005.
Approximately 1000 people were executed in 2015, according to the latest report from the United Nations investigator, Ahmed Shaheed, the special rapporteur for human rights in Iran. The unofficial number is higher. The peak of the executions in 2015 was between April and June in which nearly four people were executed every day on average. Most of the executions were carried out in prisons located in urban areas such as Ghezel Hesar and Rajai Shahr in Karaj, and Adel Abad in Shiraz.
Iran has surpassed China in the number of executions being carried out per capita. Most of the executions in Iran are being done by hanging. In addition to the alarming increase in executions, fundamental rights of Iranians and ethnic and religious minorities appear to have regressed in 2015 as well. In addition, this year witnessed the highest level of disqualification of political candidates, 61 percent, since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, 1979.
Iranian authorities claim that these executions are overwhelmingly related to drugs offenses. Nevertheless, many of the executions were linked to other issues. Only around 65 percent of those executed, were charged, with violating Iran’s narcotics law. In other areas, according to Amnesty International, the Islamic Republic remains a leading executioner of minors.
Currently, 160 juvenile offenders are on Iran’s death row. Other human rights groups also believe that Iran has executed more juveniles than any other country.
Michael G. Bochenek, senior counsel of the children’s rights division at Human Rights Watch pointed out “Iran is almost certainly the world leader in executing juvenile offenders.” Some articles in Iran’s criminal code allows girls as young as 9 and boys as young as 15 to receive death sentences. In addition, ethnic and religious minority communities, including the Sunni, Arabs, and Bahai continue to be systematically targeted and discriminated against.
Sunnis are the largest minority in Iran. They have long complained that “Iranian authorities do not appoint or employ them in high ranking government positions such as cabinet-level ministers or governors. They have also raised concerns regarding reported restrictions on the construction of Sunni mosques in Shiite-majority areas, including the capital Tehran, and the execution or imminent execution of Sunni activists the government alleges were involved in terrorist-related activities.”
Other groups include journalists, artists, writers, musicians, and human rights activists who witness arbitrary arrests, detentions and prosecutions. Amnesty International and the United Nations do not have executive power to force Iran to reform its law or hold Iranian leaders accountable, but the UN can offer recommendations such as the latest one in which Iran is asked to “take the necessary steps to ensure and that it citizens fully enjoy the rights and freedoms awarded to by the Iranian constitution with special emphasis on the right to freedom of expression, the right to political activity and their right to assemble”. According to Nazanin, a lawyer based in Karaj, “Iran’s judiciary and parliament will ignore these recommendations and not follow up with them”.
One of Rowhani’s main promises was to promote and reform restrictive laws in relation to civil liberties and social justice. “The situation has not changed since Rowhani came to power. They only talk about their victory with regards to the nuclear deal, while a lot people and religious minorities face daily discrimination”, Morteza, an Iranian teacher in city of Esfahan pointed out. When it comes to the number of people being executed as well as the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, Iran’s president would not change the status quo regardless of whether he is being presented as a moderate or hardliner.
The major institutions which have power over these matters are the judiciary system (its head is appointed by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), the ministry of intelligence, the office of the supreme leader, the Revolutionary Guards, and paramilitary groups such as the Basij.
In order to preserve interests and power, an Iranian president will not stand against powerful political establishments, and will support the ruling dispensation. In fact, the number of executions increases and rights for ethnic and religious minorities appear to deteriorate when the Islamic Republic has “moderate” or “reformist” president. The above institutions tighten the rules in order to send a message to the Iranians that a non-hardline president does not mean that the country is liberalizing its politics. ____
___________________ Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, an Iranian-American political scientist and Harvard University scholar, is president of the International American Council. Rafizadeh serves on the board of Harvard International Review at Harvard University. He is also a member of the Gulf project at Columbia University. Rafizadeh served as a senior fellow at Nonviolence International Organization based in Washington DC. He has been a recipient of several scholarships and fellowship including from Oxford University, Annenberg University, University of California Santa Barbara, and Fulbright Teaching program. He served as ambassador for the National Iranian-American Council based in Washington DC, conducted research at Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and taught at University of California Santa Barbara through Fulbright Teaching Scholarship. He can be reached at Dr.rafizadeh@fas.harvard.edu, @Dr_Rafizadeh
If you went down a list of factors for civil war....Iran would likely be number one on the world’s list of countries heading toward a civil war within five years.
“Iran would likely be number one on the world’s list of countries heading toward a civil war within five years.”
...almost had one already, but no one helped them when they asked.
Yeah....isn’t that odd?
You’d think that Saudi Arabia would love to see a coup....or the Obama Administration....or Soros....or Assad....or Putin.
Yah, that’s fair.
What kind of heartless bustard can execute a nine year old girl?
I am guessing the capital involved in this offense would be adultery.
“In addition, this year witnessed the highest level of disqualification of political candidates, 61 percent, since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, 1979.”
Sounds like the GOPe is taking a lesson here, given the way they’re treating Trump.
There were massive street demonstrations, attacks on police stations etc. in 2009 in Iran but the regime withstood them.
I wonder if they were linked to the same forces that later pushed civil war in Libya and Syria, the “Arab Spring” etc. etc.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2016/01/four-iranian-christians-prosecuted-for-spreading-christianity
Instead, Obama backed the radical Muslim leadership, assured them nuclear weapons, protected them from International scrutiny, and gave them $150 Billion dollars. He and Kerry even paid them interest on the money frozen after they seized and tortured our hostages (1979-1980).
Obama is, by far, the most evil man to ever occupy the White House. Those who voted for him and supported him (especially in 2012) are just as guilty.
From a westerner’s point of view you are correct, but from a muslim’s point of view maybe not.
How does this compare to being under the Shah?
Now imagine a world run by the Shi'ite’s. Islamic Iran is just not perfect yet and the Ayatollah & mullahs are driving hard to clean up its act of so called defective/corrupted Iranians. However, each new year... government executions hit new records! It's a wonder porn and prostitution are rampant inside Iran.
Just the kind of ally the _resident wants. They reflect his values.
Oh yeah, they are not and have never been processing uranium for anything other than electric power generation.
A blockbuster and totally politically INCORRECT essay on islam by a former prosecutor who tried the leader of the first attack on the WTC and the disturbing education he received on the true nature of islam.
I could have written this one but my only revision would be that he called it a “religion”. It is anything but!
If you want to understand islam, PLEASE read it! THEN SHARE!!
http://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/islam-facts-or-dreams/
Thanks to the Obama regime, Iran has more money to carry out more oppression and spread more jihad worldwide. But since Iran uses holes dug in the ground to keep the victims from running away, and thrown stones to kill them, it ain't that. Thanks nickcarraway.
If you'd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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I would rank “their radical Muslim religion” pretty high up on the list ....
“almost had one already, but no one helped them “
More than one
“How does this compare to being under the Shah?”
There is no comparison
One factor preventing civil war is that the military’s got guns, and nobody else does.
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