Iran to Force Jews to Wear Identifying Badges

[Divinus Arma]

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.

Article

Sounds like a good idea to me. We should do something like this in the States. Let's all wear some type of cloth or marker to identify our religion, political affiliation, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.

[Xiahou]

Article

Sounds like a good idea to me. We should do something like this in the States. Let's all wear some type of cloth or marker to identify our religion, political affiliation, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.

Yup, sure makes it easier to round up all the undesirables should you choose to do so.

Disturbing stuff really.

[Devastatin Dave]

Very sad, history repeats.

[Redleg]

Considering this is the same political/religous body that claims the holocaust did not happen, is it all that surprising coming from them>

[edyzmedieval]

Very sad.

[stalin]

Lucky for us the Israelis treat their minorities better.

[Kralizec]

Absuredly evil. I never expected them to show their true face so clearly...guess I was wrong.

[Xiahou]

Absuredly evil. I never expected them to show their true face so clearly...guess I was wrong.

It'll be interesting to see if the clerics overturn this one, now that it has garnered international attention. Any bets?

[Idaho]

Sounds like a proposal from hard line elements within the Iranian ruling class which has yet to be given approval.

Watching with concern....

[Rodion Romanovich]

Idaho, if you're right, then these news are hardly sensational. We have a few crazy nazis in Europe and USA too.

Otherwise, it's really disgusting stuff. Luckily enough Iran isn't powerful to carry out something like the holocaust, and if they would do, they'd be wiped off the map in a few months. But if there are many Iranians who have the desire to do so, if only they had power? *Shudders*

[Ironside]

Considering this is the same political/religous body that claims the holocaust did not happen, is it all that surprising coming from them>

The "best" case scenario is that another "in your face" statement from Iran. That's already disturbing...

[Xiahou]

Idaho, if you're right, then these news are hardly sensational. We have a few crazy nazis in Europe and USA too.

Otherwise, it's really disgusting stuff. Luckily enough Iran isn't powerful to carry out something like the holocaust, and if they would do, they'd be wiped off the map in a few months. But if there are many Iranians who have the desire to do so, if only they had power? *Shudders*

It passed their parliament- it's left to the clerics in charge to either allow it or reject it.

From the article:

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.

[Rodion Romanovich]

It passed their parliament- it's left to the clerics in charge to either allow it or reject it.

[Samurai Waki]

Never Again. Finally a reason I'd join up and go to war.

[Bar Kochba]

well of course the clerics will accept what possible reason wouldnt they ?

[Sjakihata]

well of course the clerics will accept what possible reason wouldnt they ?

International pressure

[Lemur]

Wow, "Islamofascism" has never been a more apt description ...

[Hurin_Rules]

Don't the people who voted for these badges read history? I mean, really... this has happened numerous times in the past, and it never had a good result.

[Rodion Romanovich]

Never Again. Finally a reason I'd join up and go to war.

Concentration camps are apparently already in China, so it's a bit late for "never again". But at least there's time to stop this thing. The problem is from a political point of view Iran is at the same time forcing all others to show religion etc. by clothing, so it's not direct oppression of any distinct minority, just a form of totalitarian oppression about clothing - and an oppression which the locals may even like too much for us to be able to step in as saviors if/when removing it. The thread title is a very incorrect way of describing this law. The law is disgusting, but it's not anti-semitism. It's islamo-fascism - it's rather a form of strenghtening the "we" feeling than the "they" feeling. But such things can easily turn into a "they" way of thinking, directed at one or more minorities.

If Iran has an evil agenda they'll sooner or later do something that'll be a clear step over the line that forces us to defend ourselves. In passing the law, they've not made a distinct step over the line. But if they punish someone harshly for not following it, then we can speak of real oppression, and a good justification for a war. However if they don't harshly punish people who break this disgusting law, they'll unfortunately remain in the grey-zone between clearly evil and clearly neutral (however, if you pass a law, you're likely to use it, so we're likely to get a justification for war pretty quickly). The problem is, in the light of the passing of a law like this, the Iranian nuclear program comes into a whole new perspective. Obviously in the ideal case nobody should be attacked unless evil, but nobody can know for sure whether someone is evil or not, so the decision of attack can only be based on the attacker's perception after he's taken his responsibility of trying to make his judgement of the opponent fairly, always questioning the evilness of said opponent as far as possible, until no doubt remains. While the nuclear program shows they're trying to become a dangerous opponent in war, this recent law shows it's likely they've also got the desire to use the capabilities that that strength could give. With this law, even if it wouldn't be used to persecute any breaker of it, it's a difficult situation for people who support peace, as they get a more and more difficult time argumenting for peace. Laws such as this are really testing the abilitity of other countries to trust Iran's intentions. We should make an ultimatum now - if any non-muslim American or European citizen is persecuted for not wearing a badge, then Iran could be subject to war. If any non-muslim American or European becomes target of street violence by a mob because he/she wore a badge and it was what made him/her a target to the mob, Iran could be subject to war. And with "subject to war" I mean that Iran could be attacked at any time American or European armies would consider appropriate.

This is the best chance for American and European forces to get a strong justification for war, a justification which would make the situation during (better support from home for the troops) and after the war better (unlike than the situation after the Iraq war, for example, where the approach to ultimatum was careless), which are both of great importance. So far an Iran war has been in the grey-zone between justified and not justified, because they've been provoking and looking like they've bad intentions, while never completely stepping over the line, and we've responded too early, making us both look equally bad. But if we make an ultimatum now, and they step over that line, they'll have passed their line so clearly that we've got a justification for a war against Iran. Then we'll get out of this grey-zone of fear for both parts, and find out whether they desire a fight, or desire peace.

[Spetulhu]

That's the only source on badges. Others report that the Iranians are thinking about a dress code, but nothing about badges. Seems someone has been adding a bit of extra flavor to the report.

[Bar Kochba]

yeah ive seen this on e fourms and there all from canada!!

[Rodion Romanovich]

That's the only source on badges. Others report that the Iranians are thinking about a dress code, but nothing about badges. Seems someone has been adding a bit of extra flavor to the report.

Gah! I'll just keep my mouth shut until some better sources turn up

[stalin]

Well it all seems a very fitting story with the build up to war and all. I remember last time we had such a media campaign full of unproven"facts" was before the Iraq war and look at the truths now. Besides if it is true: how many jews live in Iran anyway - 25 000.That's less than the civilian death toll in Iraq

[Rodion Romanovich]

The good thing, laws are official records, so in the end it'll be easily possible for almost everyone to check up whether it's true or not. If it's passed, it'll be difficult to hide it, and if it isn't passed and/or never existed as a suggestion, it'll be difficult to make it up. I'm of course just speaking hypothetically above. If I were to make a political decision on or vote on the subject of war or not I'd take my responsibility on checking up the truth behind this first. However there's not much responsibility related to random posting in a gaming forum

[stalin]

I think it is so weird we never read: "Israel forces the Palestinians to live in ghettoes behind barbed wired fences just like the Nazis did"

[Bar Kochba]

funny that you dont hear that eygptions and jordanies do the same things!!!

[Ice]

I think it is so weird we never read: "Israel forces the Palestinians to live in ghettoes behind barbed wired fences just like the Nazis did"

That is a totally different issue. It's funny how you just oversimplified a large, current situation.

[yesdachi]

Don't the people who voted for these badges read history? I mean, really... this has happened numerous times in the past, and it never had a good result.

The most significant event in recent history that relates to this is something they are not willing to even recognize happened. The situation is very frustrating to me.

[GoreBag]

I know the UAE requires its people to list their religion on their ID cards because Muslims are forbidden to drink liquor (and other practical reasons, I assume). This circumvents that by preventing them from buying fake ID's, assuming that they do not want to risk being outside the house without their 'badge', even if the story is true.

[BHCWarman88]

Never Again. Finally a reason I'd join up and go to war.

I'm 14, but if I was Older,I would Enlist.. Iran going to be the NExt Germany,Mind what I say people!!