I Don't Know what to think.

[fargon]

The Government of Iran, has recently pass a law that requires all Jews, Christians, and other non Moslem's to wear badges identifying them religious belief's. I'm scared for their rights and safety.

[Elspode]

Rights and safety? In Iran? Why worry about something that no one has had there since...well...never? You'd have to be out of your frigging mind to live in Iran if you were anything but a Muslim fundamentalist.

Let's worry about our own rights and safety right here, where our own government is working harder and harder every day to keep us so safe that we won't be able to live.

[Flint]

Originally Posted by Elspode

You'd have to be out of your frigging mind to live in Iran if you were anything but a Muslim fundamentalist.

What if you were born there and didn't have a choice?

[Elspode]

Move...move anywhere, almost. Run away.

If I was a guessing person, I'd be guessing that this move is largely to attempt to cleanse their society of such rabble without actually having to exterminate them. Later, they won't care. See Nazi Germany in your World Book.

[Shocker]

You've got to wonder what the heck Iran is thinking when they pull shit like this. As if the nuclear standoff with them weren't enough, now they are going to make policies like this? It's almost as if they are wanting a conflict with the world, something so that they can enact their desires to "wipe Israel off the map". This is only going to alienate them more from the rest of the world, and will only strengthen and reinforce those who believe that ultimately Iran is a threat that needs to be dealt with.

[glatt]

Well with Venezuela thinking about selling its F16s to Iran, you have to wonder if this "You're either with us or against us" posture is a good one.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Now let's not jump to conclusions, here. Iran may want to be able to readily identify Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians, when everyone is required to wear "traditional Islamic garb", so they won't inadvertently offend them.

[footfootfoot]

On the plus side, once they get rid of all the christians, jews and zoroastrians, they'll only be killing each other with car bombs.
/pollyanna

[Shocker]

Originally Posted by glatt

Well with Venezuela thinking about selling its F16s to Iran, you have to wonder if this "You're either with us or against us" posture is a good one.

Well on that note, the fact that Venezuela is considering selling their F16's to Iran is really pretty moot. They only have 21 F16s, all purchased in the early 1980's, and in serious need of maintenance and upgrades to make them even effective against our own F16's. Also, under the contract between the US and Venezuela for the sale of the F16's, Venezuela must first get approval from the US government.

That said, Iran would pretty much be wasting their time and money buying F16's from Venezuela because, assuming Venezuela sells their F16's to them, Iran would need to buy spare parts to complete the required maintenance and bring them up to par to effectively use them, and since the US is currently engaged in an arms embargo against Iran, they would be hard put to find parts elsewhere.

And in the case of the "You're either with us or against us" position, well in Iran's situation, they are acting in a way that not only puts them against us, but against much of the western world as well. They are only digging themselves a grave once the international outcry against their latest disturbing policies begins to come in. This only makes them look like an even bigger threat in the eyes of the US and much of Europe as well.

[Beestie]

Iran isn't the least bit interested in purging Christians or Zoroastrians. Christians are perfectly welcome to visit, live and co-exist in Iran which has plenty of well-attended Roman-Catholic cathedrals. Unlike Arab countries, Iran grants Christians a special exemption from the prohibition against alcohol provided they consume it inside their home. There is no persecution of Christians in Iran that I'm aware of - my in-laws are Iranian and my wife grew up in Tehran in what was basically a Catholic neighborhood.

The Jews and the Bah'ai's were/are the ones in the crosshairs.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Shocker

You've got to wonder what the heck Iran is thinking when they pull shit like this.

The nuclear standoff is easily understood. We told Iran we will unilaterally attack them. We demonstrated same in Iraq. That's a no-brainer. Iran (and every other nation in the region) needs defensive weapons. This is what pre-emption creates.

Originally Posted by Shocker

... now they are going to make policies like this? It's almost as if they are wanting a conflict with the world, ...

The question makes sense if your position is from a logical one. But these leaders are religious. Religious based decisions are logical when put in the perspective of religious bias. Do they know what it says to the world? Remember what an introverted religious education can do to a person's viewpoint. They just do not view that decree as you see it. They don't have grasp of world history - one of the problems created by introverted religious educations. They never learned that religion is only a relationship between you and your god - nothing more.

Let's not forget the same thing happened in Dover PA. The so religious in that town literally lied. Even after swearing to tell the truth on the bible, they lied. Why would they commit sin in court - thou shalt not commit false witness against thy neighbor? It happens when a religion must be imposed on all others. It is what creates histories of illogical responses such as Spanish Inquisition, 30 Years War, and the Crusades. The only way to understand such people is to first understand why religious extremism (imposing one's believes on all others) has no relationship to 1) purpose of religion, 2) society's need for tolerance, and 3) advancement of mankind.

However, like it or not, that is their problem. And long before it becomes a concern of yours, it must first be a concern of Iran's neighbors. You should know what is going on. Have opinions. But to condemn an entire nation for the extemist religous views of their leaders? We are only spectators - and nothing more.

[Beestie]

The president of Iran is not religious. He's a politician who is playing his hand very well. Not that outsmarting W takes all that much.

[Ibby]

I personally think that Iran is TRYING to provoke war with Israel, and from that I think it can be deduced that Iran has something up their sleeves (Nukes? Chem? Just a lot of bombs?) and are prepared to "wipe out the Zionist state".

[Undertoad]

It appears now that the original story is false. Experts say report of badges for Jews in Iran is untrue

Such a requirement serves at least two purposes:

1.) It ensures that aberrant behavior stemming from religious convictions is readily identified so as not to be penalized by a tolerant regime.

2.) It enables rapid identification of potential hostages and human shields should the shit hit the fan and doomsday arrive at their borders.

It's a win - win situation for them. Unconventional warfare 101.