Iran eyes badges for Jews (http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=11fbf4a8-282a-4d18-954f-546709b1240f&k=32073)
Law would require non-Muslim insignia

Chris Wattie, National Post
Published: Friday, May 19, 2006

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."

[More... (http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=11fbf4a8-282a-4d18-954f-546709b1240f&k=32073)]

He feels that Isreal should be wiped off the map.

He believes the Holocaust was a myth.

Now this.

This is not going to end well.

Hmmm... I'm surprised there are even Jews living in Iran. I'd feel like a mouse at a cat convention.

Hmmm... I'm surprised there are even Jews living in Iran. I'd feel like a mouse at a cat convention.
Seriously!

According to The World Factbook (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ir.html), the religious makeup of the country is:

Shi'a Muslim 89%
Sunni Muslim 9%
Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2%

Relatively speaking, the Jewish community in Iran has been pretty well off and has existed there for centuries.

I suspect they'll be trying to move to Israel soon, though. Hopefully Iran will let them leave.

Not sure who to believe but one thing is for sure "The Iranian government wouldn't be stupid enough to do it" isn't a very convincing argument.
_______
Iran report of Holocaust-style badges questioned (http://www.940news.com/locale.php?news=2511)
2006-05-19 12:01:29

The National Post is sending shockwaves across the country this morning with a report that Iran's Parliament has passed a law requiring mandatory Holocaust style badges to identify Jews and Christians.
But independent 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."
Political commentator and 940 Montreal host Beryl Waysman says the report is true, that the law was passed two years ago.
"Jews should wear yellow strips, Christians red strips, because according to the Iranian mullahs, if a Mulsim shakes hands with a non-Muslim he becomes unclean."

The National Post cites Iranian expatriots living in Canada as its primary source on the story.

[Source... (http://www.940news.com/locale.php?news=2511)]

... This is not going to end well.

That depends.

If we take it over, we will have a good and reliable supply of Persian rugs.

Not sure who to believe but one thing is for sure "The Iranian government wouldn't be stupid enough to do it" isn't a very convincing argument.

Sure isn't. If there's one thing we as a species should know by now it's that there's nothing stupid enough that nobody will eventually try it. And somehow I get the feeling that the Iranian government really doesn't care too much whether the people like it or not (if even they'd care).

Not sure who to believe but one thing is for sure "The Iranian government wouldn't be stupid enough to do it" isn't a very convincing argument.


I think that Iran wants to be "a leader" in the Muslim world and this is how they are going about doing it. I think that they are trying to "stand up to" the west and the US and western culture. The truth is that Iran is just generating "that evil person" so that the existing political system can retain its power in the face a population that wants change... Maybe I am wrong.

After all, the US is fighting Sunni's, a long time rival to the Shia faith. Why is the US the enemy? Well, Iran would say that the US are all Jews. Also, the influence from Iraq and freedom experienced in Iraq creates the desire for those freedoms in Iran. What better way to keep dissent down by generating
a strawman.

I think the US influence is extending into Iran and the Iranian gov't does not like it.

Why is the US the enemy? Well, Iran would say that the US are all Jews. Also, the influence from Iraq and freedom experienced in Iraq creates the desire for those freedoms in Iran. What better way to keep dissent down by generating a strawman.

As an alternative view, the US government has repeatedly threatened Iran as part of the axis of evil and US citizens, on these boards even, regularly call for military intervention inside Iran. The US has all the capability and quite possibly the inclination to attack Iran, and after the Iraq war they know that the US can attack without just cause.

Can you name a nation that is a greater threat to Iran than the US? If you can't, then perhaps the US isn't just being used as a strawman.

That depends, entirely, on if Iran continues its Nuclear program.

If it does, Israel is a greater threat to Iran.

Until the first Gulf War, Iraq was a bigger threat (not that we'd get any thanks for destroying their enemy).

For twenty years the US has done very little to a very hostile Iranian state.

Only now, with them striving for nuclear weapons with a long history of supporting terrorism with weaponry and, in the case of Hizbollah, having some measure of actual control over the terrorist organization, is there a threat of US violence.

Its very simple. If they stop working on the bomb...noone will attack them.

I think that Iran wants to be "a leader" in the Muslim world and this is how they are going about doing it. I think that they are trying to "stand up to" the west and the US and western culture. The truth is that Iran is just generating "that evil person" so that the existing political system can retain its power in the face a population that wants change... Maybe I am wrong.

I think there is some truth to the first statement. Apparently the letter that Ahmedinejad sent to Bush was also a "da'wa," A letter giving him a chance to convert to Islam. Now we're told that he is writing a letter to Pope Bennedict (http://in.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-05-18T182631Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-249923-1.xml). Speculators are thinking that this will also be a da'wa.

The political, religious, and historical importance is that Mohammad would issue such letters to kings prior to attacking them as a threat of sorts. I'm not suggesting he is planning an attack on the US, but Given the rhetoric about crusaders he seems to be trying to elevate himself to the same level as Mohammad. At least in the eyes of Islam.