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Amir Taheri Addresses Queries About Dress Code Story
Benador Associates ^ | May 22, 2006 | Amir Taheri

Posted on 05/22/2006 6:50:09 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative

Regarding the dress code story it seems that my column was used as the basis for a number of reports that somehow jumped the gun.

As far as my article is concerned I stand by it.

The law has been passed by the Islamic Majlis and will now be submitted to the Council of Guardians. A committee has been appointed to work out the modalities of implementation.

Many ideas are being discussed with regard to implementation, including special markers, known as zonnars, for followers of Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism, the only faiths other than Islam that are recognized as such. The zonnar was in use throughout the Muslim world until the early 20th century and marked out the dhimmis, or protected religious minorities. ( In Iran it was formally abolished in 1908).

I have been informed of the ideas under discussion thanks to my sources in Tehran, including three members of the Majlis who had tried to block the bill since it was first drafted in 2004.

I do not know which of these ideas or any will be eventually adopted. We will know once the committee appointed to discuss them presents its report, perhaps in September.

Interestingly, the Islamic Republic authorities refuse to issue an official statement categorically rejecting the concept of dhimmitude and the need for marking out religious minorities.

I raised the issue not as a news story, because news of the new law was already several days old, but as an opinion column to alert the outside world to this most disturbing development.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: amirtaheri; antichristian; antisemitism; dresscode; iran; iranianjews; islam; redbadges; taheri; yellowbadges

1 posted on 05/22/2006 6:50:13 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
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To: West Coast Conservative
Interesting. A story too quickly accepted was also a story too quickly "debunked." In truth (1) the law actually was passed, and (2) it does contain at least the elements of such markers. Whether they will emerge in the final legislation is yet undetermined.

It seems an impossibly inflammatory action to Westerners whose historical context includes the Holocaust. It isn't inflammatory at all in the eyes of people whose own historical context ceases in the 12th century AD. It's traditional.

2 posted on 05/22/2006 6:54:21 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: West Coast Conservative
"protected religious minorities."

More Islamic euphemism.
3 posted on 05/22/2006 6:56:09 PM PDT by atomicpossum (Replies must follow approved guidelines or you will be kill-filed without appeal.)
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To: West Coast Conservative
Like the King of Denmark
I now wear this badge with Honor
and encourage all others to do the same.



My Dog-Tags say American Baptist.

4 posted on 05/22/2006 6:57:03 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: West Coast Conservative
Hey, Iran-boy! Think twice when trying to impose dhimmitude on someone wearing this religious marker:


5 posted on 05/22/2006 7:03:55 PM PDT by orionblamblam (I'm interested in science and preventing its corruption, so here I am.)
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To: West Coast Conservative

I still don't think this is being explained very well.

My understanding is: the Majlis (islamic parliament)passed the vote on a general dress code. (The idea of an Iranian "costume" has been discussed for yrs.) That's all. No specifics as to what the dress will be. That's still under consideration, as is the possiblity of some sort of designation for non-muslims. That has not been decided.
The vote having passed on the general dress code, will now go to the Council of Guardians and be voted on there. The ultimate decider is Khamenei.
Details of the garments will be decided later.

That's my understanding.


6 posted on 05/22/2006 7:04:44 PM PDT by nuconvert ([there's a lot of bad people in the pistachio business])
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To: Billthedrill
One FR thread, Iran eyes badges for Jews , got everybody all wound up and then it was discredited.

Iranians, expat or nationals, haven't had a good track record for accurately reporting things. I don't recall how many times in the last few years that I read that the Iranian students were going to bring down their Shia theocracy, for instance.

7 posted on 05/22/2006 7:06:08 PM PDT by xJones
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To: SandRat

The King was asked by the Germans to ID Danish Jews with the Star of David. He said, then give me the first star. What a hero! How many of our leaders today would do that?


8 posted on 05/22/2006 7:09:28 PM PDT by GeorgefromGeorgia
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To: SandRat

SandRat - Beautiful Post!!! I say if Iran makes the Jews wear a yellow stripe on their clothing, we all wear a yellow stripe to show our solidarity with them. What the Danish people did to help and save their Jewish population during World War II should stand as a model for us all.


9 posted on 05/22/2006 7:16:35 PM PDT by topazbeth ("There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men." –Edmund Burke)
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To: xJones; Billthedrill

Amir Taheri accurately reported it. If you go back to his original article, it never said that they passed a law on the 'badges'. He said they passed the dress code (which had already been reported a couple days earlier) and they "envisage" having some kind of religious designation in the form of a badge or strip of cloth.

What happened was, the Nat'l Post ran with the story, and it escalated from there, with everyone leaving out the key word, "envisage", and assuming that the law passed included the 'badges'. And also, people didn't understand, that the Majlis vote doesn't mean much until it is taken up and passed by the Council of Guardians, and then finally OK'd by Khamenei.


10 posted on 05/22/2006 7:16:59 PM PDT by nuconvert ([there's a lot of bad people in the pistachio business])
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To: orionblamblam

Oooh...I have a Thorshammer just like that one. Makes my part-Scandinavian self proud.

(And for the record, I'm a member of the Faith that supplanted Norse Paganism, but I admire the strength and honor of my neo-Heathen brothers, and fully expect to be fighting alongside them against Islamonazi terror if it reaches my neck of the woods...)


11 posted on 05/22/2006 8:01:21 PM PDT by TFFKAMM
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To: West Coast Conservative

If they do it, I'd like to get hold of the marker proposed for all non-muslims. I'll have a t-shirt made with them, I'll wear them all.

Does anyone notice that the Bahai are left out? They are often repressed, sometimes violently so.


12 posted on 05/22/2006 8:02:32 PM PDT by marron
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To: GeorgefromGeorgia

I want to believe that GW and Laura would be the first to take the stars today.


13 posted on 05/22/2006 8:16:56 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: TFFKAMM
I have a Thorshammer just like that one.

I have one like this (though a little bit further along than shown):

I admire the strength and honor of my neo-Heathen brothers, and fully expect to be fighting alongside them against Islamonazi terror if it reaches my neck of the woods...

CS Lewis' "Cliche Came Out of its Cage"

You said 'The world is going back to Paganism'.
...
Or did you mean another kind of heathenry?
Think, then, that under heaven-roof the little disc of the earth,
Fortified Midgard, lies encircled by the ravening Worm.
Over its icy bastions faces of giant and troll
Look in, ready to invade it. The Wolf, admittedly, is bound;
But the bond will break, the Beast run free. The weary gods,
Scarred with old wounds the one-eyed Odin, Tyr who has lost a hand,
Will limp to their stations for the Last defence. Make it your hope
To be counted worthy on that day to stand beside them;
For the end of man is to partake of their defeat and die
His second, final death in good company. The stupid, strong
Unteachable monsters are certain to be victorious at last,
And every man of decent blood is on the losing side.
Take as your model the tall women with yellow hair in plaits
Who walked back into burning houses to die with men,
Or him who as the death spear entered into his vitals
Made critical comments on its workmanship and aim.
Are these the Pagans you spoke of? Know your betters and crouch, dogs;
You that have Vichy water in your veins and worship the event
Your goddess History (whom your fathers called the strumpet Fortune).

Not all religions are keen on turning the other cheek. The Iranians should be aware of this if they try to do the religious-badge thing for easier spotting of targets (also something that those Christians who think that "pagan" is another word for "fru-fru moon goddess worshipping pansies" should be aware of). A pity there are likely no Asatruar or Sikhs in Iran...

14 posted on 05/22/2006 8:40:07 PM PDT by orionblamblam (I'm interested in science and preventing its corruption, so here I am.)
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To: orionblamblam
Superb poem! And written by the 20th Century's greatest literary Christian apologist, no less...
15 posted on 05/22/2006 8:55:33 PM PDT by TFFKAMM
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To: topazbeth

the regulation is question is more than for Jews only. Christians are supposedly supposed to use red.


16 posted on 05/22/2006 9:19:16 PM PDT by Jedi Master Pikachu (www.answersingenesis.org)
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To: SandRat

Yes, I believe they would. Ronald Reagan would have.


17 posted on 05/23/2006 4:36:46 AM PDT by GeorgefromGeorgia
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

I understand that -- and Persian Blue for Zoroastrians, etc. The whole thing is creepy!


18 posted on 05/23/2006 1:54:32 PM PDT by topazbeth ("There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men." –Edmund Burke)
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