Godwin strikes again!

[sabotabby]

The front cover of the National Post today featured a headline blaring the news that Jews living in Iran were going to be forced to wear clothing identifying them as such. There weren't any Iranians on the cover—just pictures from the Holocaust of German Jews wearing the yellow star. Now, Ahamdinajad is such a nutbag that I wouldn't put this thing past him, but the fact that the National Post was covering this story and no one else was made me wonder. Since I won't pay a cent for that nasty little rag, I waited until I got home and then checked the website. There was a two-page article expanding on the headline—apparently all Iranians were getting some sort of standardized uniform—traditional Islamic garb for Muslims, yellow ribbons for Jews, red for Christians, and blue for Zoroastrians. Still an evil plan, but not quite as genocidal as the headline would have you believe.

Feministe posted about it, and one of the comments linked to this story, which has Israeli reporter Meir Javedanfar calling bullshit on the whole deal.

I re-checked the National Post site, and the story was down. About ten minutes later, this was up. (If the link goes dead, the new headline is "Experts say report of badges for Jews in Iran is untrue" and quotes Javedanfar, among others. I believe the other story quoted Stephen Harper as denouncing the law (but I don't remember for sure); now he's saying that he thinks Iran is capable of it, anyway.

Okay, if they actually passed this law, it's utterly awful and ought to be condemned and all that. But I'm thinking that the Post jumped the gun in an effort to rouse Canadian sentiment against Iran. Thoughts?

It seems that this story, however, is true. Click this link to find out how you can help an 18-year-old Iranian woman who faces the death penalty for defending herself against a rapist.

Comments

[xol0tl.livejournal.com]

I saw the same story in Ha'aretz today, but it didn't sound quite as alarmist as the Post story...

[sabotabby]

The Post article amounted to "OMG! TEH HITLER!" Israeli papers were far less excited. And the source of the information is Torontonian.

[terry-terrible.livejournal.com]

It sounds alot like the "Saddam=Hitler" propaghanda that went on here in U.S. in the before the war.

My thoughts as an American:

[frippy.livejournal.com]

Iran, Iraq, it's just one letter off, who cares anyways. Nuke all of them and let Jebus sort them out!

Re: My thoughts as an American:

[sabotabby]

They're all brown people, yes? Like the Islamomexicans who keep trying to get into the country.

[ltmurnau.livejournal.com]

OK, so religious minorities may or may not have to wear identifying marks, but I gather that there is still definitely a national dress code of some kind? Like what, everyone has to wear a blazer you can only get from one chain of shops or something?

???

[xol0tl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and I think there's some sort of ban on neckties as well, and buttoning your shirt all the way to the top button...

[sabotabby]

Iranian women don't get to wear plaid kilts and kneesocks. Which means that Catholic schools still have everyone else beat for dress codes.

I don't want to come off as trite—there's a hell of a lot of repression and human rights abuses going on there (hence the last link). But this is looking more and more like an example of a sensationalist right-wing mouthpiece getting its facts wrong, and that's good for a laugh.

[burkesworks.livejournal.com]

Israeli reporter Meir Javedanfar

Meir Javedanfar is an Iranian Jew, not an Israeli. And he's right; the story is bullshit from beginning to end.

[sabotabby]

LOL. No one is checking their facts, then, because both the Post and the Montreal news station said that he is Israeli.

[threeliesforone.livejournal.com]

the national post is just the toronto sun...except with a degree. feh.

[sabotabby]

Best. Description. Ever.

[lokilokust.livejournal.com]

hah!
(and i am the only united statesian in the WORLD that understands this comment.)

And the drum beats to war march on...

[jdubbs530.livejournal.com]

don't let the truth get in the way of a good story . i personaly think that this is just another propaganda ploy(more yellow journalism) to rally the people to war. Like the sinking of the Maine to go after the Spanish in cuba. History constently repeats itself and people never learn. Right before the Spanish-american war there were all sorts of articles that claimed the Spanish army was committing all sorts of atrocites right in our back yard and Spanish General Blanco was villified as the personification of all the evils of the Spanish occupation. Ya know cause people love to rally against a good head villian. Very similar to now, not saying I think Ahamdinajad is any sort of level headed dude, just that there is alot of rumor, speculation and out and out lies being attributed to him so he becomes the embodiment of evil on earth. Wouldn't be surprised if in the future the Maine gets sunk again, if you follow my analogy.

Re: And the drum beats to war march on...

[sabotabby]

Not to mention the Kuwaiti babies being tossed all around that hospital. I remember when that was reported as fact.

I blame Ahamdinajad for really playing into the whole cackling villain role, mind you.

Re: And the drum beats to war march on...

[jdubbs530.livejournal.com]

And tragic irony of all this is you have two presidents failing in the poles rallying around nationalism and the threat of the "other" to bolster their respective positions. Bush is going after Iran as well as undocumented immigrants, the age-old unable to vote vulnerable scapegoats and Ahamdinajad against the West and internal enemies of the state, christians, jews, kurds etc... Yes, people everywhere love to hate a villain. How similar the strategy of the two are politically if not ideological. Same old song. Care to dance?

Re: And the drum beats to war march on...

[jdubbs530.livejournal.com]

or WMDs

[goodlookinout.livejournal.com]

BARF!!! I missed this today, thanks for posting.

[sabotabby]

Any time.

[jhfurnish.livejournal.com]

It _is_ the truth, because this is something that has gone on in the theocracies for a very long time. I've now looked at several websites and know some of the concurring stories already.

I say we must do something about this. I've signed on the petitions and hope we can get the Iranian clerics to start acting like holy men instead of people who get off on watching young girls strangle on nooses.

[sabotabby]

Oh, the second article is definitely true; it's the dress code thing I'm questioning. There's a whackload of Iranian refugees whom I know who can testify, in excruciating detail, to the dark nature of the country's justice system.

[ridemycamel.livejournal.com]

Funny, because when I was in Scabu Dabi last week I read an article about it. The take was a slightly different. Apparently, the Iranian government was subdizing local fashion designers to create clothing lines that were "culturally and religiously" suited for the country, because Ahmadinejad is worried as Iranian youth are dressing like the good ol "Western imperialists". That same article, however, also had a quote from a "young Iranian woman" that was worried because she thought it would start as voluntary and end up being a mandatory uniform they would all have to wear.

Strange that this day and age, and we still have stupid shit like this.

[sabotabby]

That's utterly ridiculous, although it's still a far cry from yellow stars.

[ozone.livejournal.com]

Yeah, when my cousin was in Tehran for her winter break, she said that everyone was dressing like Americans.

[jdubbs530.livejournal.com]

I like to dress like an American

[ozone.livejournal.com]

Her quote, not mine XD

[ozone.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting this :)
I posted an entry in my LJ wondering if it was true, but now I'm just going to reference those links.

[sabotabby]

I'll post more links if I find any updates.

[ozone.livejournal.com]

Awesome, I'm going to friend you to watch. :) Is that okay?

[sabotabby]

No problem. I friended you back.

UPDATE

[jdubbs530.livejournal.com]

These may be old news already. Apology on my part and also on the papers:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060524/wl_canada_nm/canada_iran_paper_ca_col;_ylt=AtMKWtSFdykD.9x0q9uXHWZvaA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

[springheel-jack.livejournal.com]

I saw that and I thought "that's not true. In two days they'll retract it."

[sabotabby]

Have they? I've been in a news blackout for the weekend.

[springheel-jack.livejournal.com]

I think so. Well, I dunno if they did, but it seems generally recognized to have been a bunch of horseshit.

As if there aren't enough horrors in Iran anyway.

[rohmie.livejournal.com]

More on US infant mortality rate (scroll down for it).

[sabotabby]

I see no infant mortality stats. :(

[rohmie.livejournal.com]

It got bumped back by the passage of time.

Try this link. It should work.