Posted on 05/21/2006 7:49:32 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
More details emerged yesterday of a draft bill being considered by Iran's parliament that would decree "appropriate dress," following conflicting reports on whether the measure would include Nazi-style markings for Jews and other religious minorities. The bill discourages clothes that are not "appropriate to the culture" and pushes for Iranians to wear Islamic clothing to protect Iran's Muslim identity but does not mention special attire for religious minorities.
But a separate committee has yet to work out the law's details, the draft said.
And it continued to raise fears among women that the hard-line government, led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is planning a crackdown on social freedoms won in Iran during the previous government.
While the bill makes no specific mention of women, it mandates that the Culture Ministry and state media "abstain from promoting patterns not conforming with Iranian Islamic culture."
It also aims to discourage Iranians "from choosing and spending on foreign designs not appropriate to the Iranian culture and identity" and would raise taxes on foreign clothing and give state incentives to manufacturers of Islamic-style clothing.
"It is clear that this plan is designed to fight the Western dress code adopted by so many of Iran's youth," said Ardalan Parvin, a women's activist and journalist in Iran.
Women, accustomed over the last decade to lax enforcement of laws, dating to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, that require them to wear head scarves and long overcoats to hide their shapes, would not accept stepped-up enforcement, Parvin said.
"I don't think that they can just eliminate the Western dress altogether," she said. "It's going to be very difficult."
The 13-article bill, which received preliminary approval a week ago, does not mention requiring special attire or markings for religious or other minorities.
Iranian exiles - including Post columnist Amir Taheri -
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
A "draft bill being considered" is a far cry from passed legislation. AND, the draft bill contains no reference to "badges".
Fire the reporter who "broke" this story. Where are the consequences for reported lies?
I think I read that the reporter originally reported that dissidents claimed there would be badges and stuff.
..Rudi Baktiar...Iranian info babe @ CNN.
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