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.
What is the symbol all the way on the right side of the skull?
Have too much coffee today??
----------------------------------------------------
A couple of years ago this guy admitted that even though he was living here if the war ever became the US against islam he'd be carrying the flag with the crescent on it.
No kidding. There are questions about the story. I don't see how checking on it should raise challenges to someone's character. Does just the opposite, in fact.
Please see below.
"[i]ndependent reporter Meir Javedanfar, 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."
This isn't on the Persian news sites.
Persians would be among the first to condemn this.
I think it may end up being an MEK created story or just some angry ex-pat's words picked up by the media.
I'm trying to follow-up on it.
Boy, I can't wait to see the DU thread on this. lol
They'd probably just blame it on Bush anyway.
Thanks.
Maybe it was a bad week? ;~ )
Maybe a badge with a picture of Mad-Moe with a bomb on his head?
I'm speechless
Leaving the badges aside, I'd think the first thing they'd condemn is the banning of westerern fashion in favor of what appears to be required Islamic garb. That passed last Sunday, according to the government website.
Actually the SOP at DU is to dismiss such reports as disinformation without even bothering to check, then continue to deny such claims even if they are proven.
At this point it looks like the legislation was embellished; some ex-pat saw mention dress codes for muslims and presented it as requiring non-muslims to dress differently. Still, I haven't seen anything definitive either way but then I gotta keep my job.
Given the fact that his aim is to kill 5,000,000 Jews for starters, and attack America if Israel defends herself, if the badge story is false, that's not to his credit.
Something the Iranian leaders wouldn't regret anyway; Jordan and Lebanon are both staunchly pro-West. They'd blame Israel for it anyway.
ping
"I think I would rather go lie down in the icy creek next winter, rather than face this awful choice bravely, and that is because I am a mother and a grandmother, who is quaking at what lies ahead in the next decade or so.
We have gone beyond hope, dear Freepers. We are now gazing into the horrible abyss. I am now truly afraid for our future, and it is time for us to decide. Are we Americans, or republicans and democrats, squabbling over votes, while the wolves are contemplating a nice feast?"
Do you know Revelations 13 talks about the angels are unbound at the river Euphrates (borders Iraq & Israel) and that is where a war begins that kills 1/3 of mankind, the enemy combatants precise number in the passage is 200 million. The good news however is that the good guys win and then the 1,000 year reign of Christ starts. Don't fear those that can kill the body - live in faith not in fear. This life is only the beginning, I used to be an athiest but now am Christian and know God exists and is in control.
"typical muslim appeasing non-reply"
Actually nuconvert, I thought it was an a-typical muslim appeasing non-reply, but I guess you learn something every day.
Yehuda, its best to get bad people, like the mullahs, for what they actually do. I simply stated that I haven't seen evidence that the story is true.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.