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.
I don't think they intend to use gas this time. A nuke makes a crematorium out of a very large area and we are also on their target list.
In my opinion, Savage is entertaining if you don't take him too seriously. He can be rather nutsy most of the time, but he is also quite intelligent and can usually connect the dots quicker than most of his radio talk show competition.
If he didn't go off on so many crazy tangents so often, I'd listen to him more often. But when I do listen, he's usually a little ahead of the curve on a lot of issues, even when I disagree with him.
"This guy is much worse. He's a TRUE BELIEVER in everything he says about Islam ruling the world, destroying Israel, the return of the 12th whosis -- the whole shmeer!"
Y'know, pretty much everything that Adolf Hitler believed was contained in the book "mein kampf." His plans for the future were there in black and white for anyone to read years before he actually came to power. People at that time dismissed it as mere political posturing and rhetoric.
As we were to find out, he was deadly serious.
In looking at Iran today I hear a lot of people dismissing what is coming out of their president as mere political posturing and rhetoric.
It isn't.
In a cult where there is no "official" heirarchical structure, how do you think these mullahs atain their "rank"?
Answer: By attracting the most fanatical and violent followers with which to intimidate or destroy the "competition". And how do they do that?
Answer: By playing the "holier-than-thou" card --- being more extreme, less tolerant of the infidel, and more ready to kill.
When you view it this way, it's easy to see why they act the way they do, and say the things they do. All of this follows logically from the basic nature of the islamic cult.
As a contrasting, but in some ways similar example, consider the Jewish (I'm Jewish, so I get to say this /grin/) kosher laws. The bit about not "boiling the kid in its mother's milk", i.e. not mixing meat dishes with dishes that contain milk, is really quite sensitive, and is positively *amazing* when considered in the context of how rough life must have been in ancient times.
But how did that evolve to the later practice of having two complete sets of dishes, silverware and cookware in the kitchen, one for meat and one for things with milk?
My answer: A bunch of rabbis trying to outdo each other at being holier-than-thou ... "Oh yeah???? Well, *I'm* so kosher that I don't even eat meat and milk off the same plate! Top THAT!".
Pat Buchanan supports Ahmadinejad???? No way!
concern about badges ... where is the concern when Israelis are blown to bits?
How did you know that?
Iranian friends
Hey, BUB, they are the real deal.
The one that calls down destruction upon is nation is the winner. Surely the end times, at least for Iran.
This has to be an unfounded rumor or internext hoax. It's been established for some time now, at least as far back as November 2000, that all the evil in the world resides within the Republican Party.
Oops. "Internet." Damned fingers, going off on their own.
Now that is a good one!!
Post NOT directed at Squawk 8888:
Iranians, take heed. Even your children will suffer greatly because of the leaders you follow and ALLOW to rule you. The "prophet" and your "God" will not be able to protect you from what will come if you continue down this path. Each of you will beg to die so your suffering will end, and those of you who do not die will live under the feet of your conquerers. Revolt against your government and throw out the idiots and lunatics you have allowed to dictate your lives. You can only save yourselves.
But you will not listen, and you will pay, and I will laugh at your pain. Fools!
Maybe if I sound as dramatic as their government they will understand.
"All trade with Iran has to be stopped"
There was a trade embargo against Nazi Germany and Mussolini's Italy, Tojo's Japan prior to the run up of World War 2. It had no effect whatsover on an extremist ideology.
I always have to laugh at people who suggest economic boycotts. They think they are dealing with a for profit corporation, not a power hungry tyranny.
Who will refuse to buy Iranian oil?
The economic boycott against Fidel Castro is a real success story, I suppose.
Amen. Iran is picking a fight with us; may their crimes be brought forward before the world and they be shamed and defeated.
I am afraid to ask this, but does the Koran sanction forcing non-Muslims to wear special clothing or badges?
These people only caare about the Koran, so if it is in there, then the dress restrictions must be implemented.
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