Law would require non-Muslim insignia

[Dodgegal]

This is Scary!

http://www.canada.com/components/pri...b1240f&k=32073

Iran eyes badges for Jews
Law would require non-Muslim insignia

Chris Wattie
National Post


Friday, May 19, 2006



Jews were made to wear stars to identify them in Nazi Germany.

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.

[Flying Dutchman]

Sad part is if we, America, say anything against this we are "overstepping" our boundries. I can see it, Isreal is going to come completely unglued at the seams here and go totally postal. They will bomb Iran, piss off their neighbors, then bomb the hell out of them too.

[TexKan]

I think Isreal is a powerful force and can take the lead on this......... let em fly!!!

[Highwayman]

It would be nice to see someone else step up and do the dirty work that we normally get stuck with.

[TexKan]

That's why I think Isreal will take them on. We of course will help but I think Isreal would be the lead dog........... my guess is IF and when Isreal does something like that - they don't "ask" our permission. More like they just "inform" us it's gonna go down.

[Highwayman]

Originally Posted by TexKan

........... my guess is IF and when Isreal does something like that - they don't "ask" our permission. More like they just "inform" us it's gonna go down.

Better yet, tell us after the fact.

[Flying Dutchman]

The shits is YOU KNOW we will have to get seriously involved if Isreal does anything. The fact that we "have their back" allows them to do things. They know we will not allow anything to happen to them, and they have the military power to do some serious damage. Better stock up on gas now------------

[TexKan]

Isreal has always had our back too over there............ difference is isreal usually flys in stikes hard and flys out............ they are pretty good at kickin ass.............. we on the other hand have become pretty good at kickin ass then kissin it todeath............. let em settle thier own issues......... I wouldn't mind havin some isreali's on our border.......... I just want anyone on our border other than the folks commin from the west!!....... (sorry attempted thread hijack!!)......... OKOK

Isreal is more than capable of takin care of business when it come to Iran. They may be small but most countries are scared of em - and with good reason. Egypt at one time had a kick ass military......... not sure what it's like now.

[Made in the USA]

When I was flying out of Kelly AFB in San Antone, many moons ago, we were training Iranian pilots at the time. Of course, the Shah was in power then. But it seemed absurd that we were training them, then a few years later, the Ayatollah took over, and we were fighting the same people that we trained.

[TexKan]

Gee MIT....... was that in the 70's???......... I was in Ft Sam at the same time and they were trainin Iranians there too.......... crazy MF's........... I spent a weekend with an ole boy that sure didn't get what he thought he would get!!!!............. They had loads of money........ but not a brain in the head. When I was at Letterman in SF......... the Shaw and his lady come and took over the entire top floor of our hosp. That's when he was diag with cancer........... gee what a small world!!!!!