Posted on 05/19/2006 2:55:11 AM PDT by Squawk 8888
Human rights groups are raising alarms over a new law passed by the Iranian parliament that would require the country's Jews and Christians to wear coloured badges to identify them and other religious minorities as non-Muslims.
"This is reminiscent of the Holocaust," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, the dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. "Iran is moving closer and closer to the ideology of the Nazis."
Iranian expatriates living in Canada yesterday confirmed reports that the Iranian parliament, called the Islamic Majlis, passed a law this week setting a dress code for all Iranians, requiring them to wear almost identical "standard Islamic garments."
The law, which must still be approved by Iran's "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenehi before being put into effect, also establishes special insignia to be worn by non-Muslims.
Iran's roughly 25,000 Jews would have to sew a yellow strip of cloth on the front of their clothes, while Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would be forced to wear blue cloth.
"There's no reason to believe they won't pass this," said Rabbi Hier. "It will certainly pass unless there's some sort of international outcry over this."
Bernie Farber, the chief executive of the Canadian Jewish Congress, said he was "stunned" by the measure. "We thought this had gone the way of the dodo bird, but clearly in Iran everything old and bad is new again," he said. "It's state-sponsored religious discrimination."
Ali Behroozian, an Iranian exile living in Toronto, said the law could come into force as early as next year.
It would make religious minorities immediately identifiable and allow Muslims to avoid contact with non-Muslims.
Mr. Behroozian said it will make life even more difficult for Iran's small pockets of Jewish, Christian and other religious minorities -- the country is overwhelmingly Shi'ite Muslim. "They have all been persecuted for a while, but these new dress rules are going to make things worse for them," he said.
The new law was drafted two years ago, but was stuck in the Iranian parliament until recently when it was revived at the behest of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
A spokesman for the Iranian Embassy in Ottawa refused to comment on the measures. "This is nothing to do with anything here," said a press secretary who identified himself as Mr. Gharmani.
"We are not here to answer such questions."
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre has written to Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, protesting the Iranian law and calling on the international community to bring pressure on Iran to drop the measure.
"The world should not ignore this," said Rabbi Hier. "The world ignored Hitler for many years -- he was dismissed as a demagogue, they said he'd never come to power -- and we were all wrong."
Mr. Farber said Canada and other nations should take action to isolate Mr. Ahmadinejad in light of the new law, which he called "chilling," and his previous string of anti-Semitic statements.
"There are some very frightening parallels here," he said. "It's time to start considering how we're going to deal with this person."
Mr. Ahmadinejad has repeatedly described the Holocaust as a myth and earlier this year announced Iran would host a conference to re-examine the history of the Nazis' "Final Solution."
He has caused international outrage by publicly calling for Israel to be "wiped off the map."
Iran does not yet have nuclear weapons, but Tehran believed by Western nations to be developing its own nuclear military capability, in defiance of international protocols and peace treaties.
The United States, France and Israel accuse Iran of using a civilian nuclear program to secretly build a weapon. Iran denies this, saying its program is confined to generating electricity.
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If I remember correctly, it seems this was done previously.
What is next? Zyclon B production facilities? Import of German Oven technology?
Bomb the crap out of Iran NOW!!!
I agree. They are doing this on purpose, to see how far they can go, and they know very well the UN won't do anything more than utter some vague 'disapproval'.
It must be noted, that by late 1938, Hitler was openly mocking his opponents (Chamberlain, Daladier etc...) and ridiculing them as being 'chattering tea-ladies' ("Chamberlain takes to the country in the weekend, I shall take countries in the weekend." - Adolf Hitler). Hitler was so convinced that the world wouldn't do anything to stop him he did the same thing these Iran nutjobs are doing now, upping his demands all the time, coming up with ever more increasingly persecuting of jews and anyone else he didn't like.
The world once said, never again, but this is starting to look like some sick person's idea of a sequel or a re-make.
Took you awhile to get here. ;-D
If I were there (and non-Muslim) I think I'd take the early morning Diaspora Express until something is done about these lunatics.
Same thing happening as it did with Hitler. "Oh, Armiwhateverhisnameis is nothing, he won't do anything sputter his garbage, etc..."
It just goes to show that humans are stupid and DON'T learn from their mistakes. Even with they have been documented out the wazoo in history books.
When are we going to tell the U.N. to STFU? The place is less than useless; it is pernicious and corrupt.
>>>I listen sometimes to Michael Savage, for entertain purposes, but he's on the record as calling the Iranian president the reincarnation of Hitler.>>>
He is, historically if not metaphysically.
Iran report of Holocaust-style badges questioned 2006-05-19 08:52:01I notice, though, that the disputing reporter does not claim that there is no dress-code law, only that he does not see any part in there about Jews and Christians having to wear something differentThe National Post is sending shockwaves across the country this morning with a report that Iran's Parliament has passed a law requiring mandatory Holocaust style badges to identify Jews and Christians.
But independent reporter Meir Javdanfar, an Israeli Middle East expert who was born and raised in Tehran, says the report is false. "It's absolutely factually incorrect," he told The New 940 Montreal.
"Nowhere in the law is there any talk of Jews and Christians having to wear different colours. I've checked it with sources both inside Iran and outside."
"The Iranian people would never stand for it. The Iranian government wouldn't be stupid enough to do it."
The National Post cites Iranian expatriots living in Canada as its primary source on the story.
I would say beyond disturbing.
It's been done to prevent muslims from being exposed to things which are not halal or not permissible under Islamic law or beliefs.
Another manifestation of their mindset - which should have been obvious to the world before now. It is difficult to believe that Pat Buchanan and Charley Reese will be much disturbed by the move...
The window of opportunity has passed.
you know the truly scary thing...the libs are acting now EXACTLY to the letter how they reacted in the past...letter for letter and cross the letter t....
i will give you some examples
no blood for oil...was first used in the 1930's with no blood for standard oil (the dominant oil company then)
we now have some european states offering favours for letters of promises from iran...exactly as before, while in the meantime he build his armies from weakness to strength. he is formenting fear (immigrants)in local countries, exactly as hitler did...
he responds with threats, we bend over more...
now the colours to 'help' the minorities
i am betting all i own, that sometime soon (a year or so), there will be an assination attempt on this joker or some senior figure will be killed (almost definitely by their own side) and the person arrested will have a red or yellow badge. the nation 'outraged' will respond and we have crystal night version 2
there is no difference between this guy in iran and past fanatics. he is reading from the text book of murder, chapter by chapter...verse by verse...
and what happens in the liberal press...its all about how badly they were treated in the past and they are just trying to build themselves up cos we threaten them...
jesus h christ...is it only us here that see this...how in the name of God can people not 'SEE WHAT IS GOING ON HERE'
Nope, they won't have to worry about that
In Iran, being gay mandates your immediate execution
On the positive side, I will tell you, too, that many Iranians seek out christian businesses, because they feel they are more honest. ;~ )
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