Update Two: An article from CNews posted today.
Apparently, the bill does exist, but it doesn't say what at first was reported by the National Post.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - A draft law being considered by Iran's parliament encourages the wearing of Islamic clothing to protect the country's Muslim identity, according to a copy of the bill obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday.
(...)
But the bill has raised fears among women that the hard-line government led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is planning to crack down on social freedoms won in Iran during the previous, pro-reform government.
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It tasks the Culture Ministry and state media to promote Iranian styles of dress and to discourage clothing "that does not conform with Iranian-Islamic culture." It also would give economic incentives to producers making Islamic-style clothing and impose tariffs on clothing imports.
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Ardalan Parvin, a women's activist and journalist in Iran, said women will not accept it if Iran tries to step up enforcement now.
Read it all.
Well, the bill doesn't specify the "minority identification" bits of fabric, after all. If it is indeed the original bill and not one hastily produced by the state of Iran to cover up whatever its real intentions may be, if hidden. Further, note that the bill isn't specific and tasks the culture ministry and state media with the job of seeing to it that certain clothing requirements are adhered to. I see a loophole there. And I see the Iranian state stopping at nothing to use the loophole as they see fit.
Update: Northeast Intelligence Network weighs in on the story with historical information.
Although there appear to be some doubts regarding the veracity of this news story, this action is obviously not without historical precedent in Islam. The requirement for non-Muslims to wear identifying and highly discriminatory clothing and badges predates the Crusades. For instance, the yellow badge mandated for Jews began in Europe about 1215 AD,
Pursuant to the Pact of Omar II 720 AD, Christians and Jews were forced to wear variously colored clothes, turbans, and shoes. In many cases, Christians were forced to wear large crosses on their clothing while Jews were made to wear large images of a cow or calf, based on the story of the Golden Calf.
In Persia (now Iran), Jews were forbidden to leave their homes on rainy or snowy days, so that the moisture that ran from their bodies from the elements would not pollute Persia’s soil. Jews who visited merchant shops were also required to “buy what they touched” at any price determined by a Muslim, as such items would be considered tainted by Muslim standards.
Hmm... Muslims... yep, a tolerant folk, aren't they? Historically. And today they really demonstrate that they have progressed into modernity, embracing the wonders of diversity as has the Free World. Oh, yep! They really treat women as human beings with equal rights and wouldn't dare dream of forcing them to hide themselves from view, forcing them to never learn to read and write... and torturing them and killing them for practically nothing, as dictated by the Koran. And they have gay pride parades and gay marriage. Oh, yep. They don't hang gays. They don't topple walls onto them. Oh, yep. Suuuuure.
Does the left think the way that the Islamic world treats all kinds of minorities, including their most favored minorities, as not-human is okay... because, after all, these folks are Muslims? Does being a Muslim make everything ok in the eyes of leftists?
Oh, and here's a couple of links, just in case some think I'm making up stuff:
Why are these men being hanged? I'll give a hint: because they're gay. And that's a big, fat no-no under Islam! Do leftists wish to morally equivocate here? I remind them that they claim that gay marriage is a human right... and here we have gay folks being murdered by Muslims, in line with Islam, for being that way. Is that ok with leftists?
Here's a damning link to examples of Iran's commitment to human rights. Some commitment!
Ominous story here. h/t: NealeNews.com
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."
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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 his."
Read it all!
Hitler's Nazis forced Jews to wear a similar badge prior to and during the Holocaust. History tells us all about that.
TCS Flashbacks:
Goose-Stepping Iranians
Iran's Ahmadinejad Again Threatens to Annihilate Israel
WWII: The Muslim Nazis
Is Iran beginning their very own horrible Final Solution?
I'm waiting to see if the left and the supposedly "good" Muslims of the world show any genuine horror at the mere intent of Iran to do such a terrible, inhuman thing. After all, how would they feel if they were forced to wear a crescent badge on their clothing in the non-Islamic world?
But then again, the Koran requires discrimination against non-Muslims. Not only that, it requires that non-Muslims who refuse invitations to convert to Islam be killed.
Does the left care? Do the "good" Muslims of the world think Iran's plans are acceptable?
I'm waiting. I hope I don't have to wait more than a day to see the massive international outrage at Iran's plans.
Well? Leftists? "Good" Muslims? What say ye?
