Iran, the mark for Christians/Jews, and a lawsuit

Iran is trying to back off from the reports of a law requiring colored badges for non-Muslims in that country. However, my understanding is that this is in fact 'being discussed' and is in fact 'included in a law' that has yet to be passed. It has been suggested that this may have been a 'trial balloon' to see how the world would respond. (See UPDATE at bottom of this post)

Hot Air has all the reports of journalists and bloggers questioning whether the original story was true or fabricated.

On the other hand, Amir Taheri’s story in the Post this morning (which accompanied the main article that everyone’s linking to) is awfully detailed to have been made up out of whole cloth. Taheri is a credible reporter, and he has oodles of contacts in Iran, so it’s hard for me to believe he could have been suckered here. There’s certainly no dispute that the Majlis did pass a law this week mandating a national Islamic dress code (which is bad enough); the question is whether that law carries any special requirements for non-Muslims.

The "Iranian law would envision separate clothing guidelines for ethnic and religious minorities, to "enable Muslims to instantly recognize non-Muslims so that they can avoid shaking hands with them by mistake." Iranian officials have denied that this is included in the law, but they CONFIRM that this is being DISCUSSED. And if something like this gets passed and accepted in Iran, how soon before it gets taken up in other Muslim countries? Even the thought of such 'marking' of non-Muslims is repulsive.

Patum Peperium reports that identifying non-Muslims is already taking place:

Iranian religious leaders historically mandated dress codes for non-Muslims. The country's current constitution already carves out special status for non-Muslims, prohibiting them from obtaining senior posts in either the army or government. Muslims in Iran officially enjoy preference over non-Muslims in gaining admission to universities.

A national ordinance enacted in 2000 and 2001 requires all non-Muslim butchers, grocers, and purveyors of food to post a form in the window of their place of business warning Muslims that they do not share their faith. At the time it was put in place, the code was defended on the grounds that it enforced Islamic dietary law.

On his Web log yesterday, the former president of the Middle East Studies Association, Juan Cole, called the original National Post story a "black psy-ops operation," implying it was deliberately planted to demonize President Ahmadinejad.source

Which side are you on? Will you stand against Iran? Ahmadinejad said, "The enemies of the Iranian people should know: Confronting this people will bring them nothing but defeat, humiliation, and misery. We say to you... (Crowd:) Death to America. Death to America. Death to America. Death to America. Death to America.

Death to America. It's not just a slogan. They mean it. source

This is what "Never Again" means:

[Israeli] Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter responded to the new law Friday night, saying, "Whoever makes Jews anywhere wear the yellow star again, will find themselves in a coffin draped in black."

That is what "Never Again" means. via New Sisyphus

Thanks to Mrs. P, at Patum Peperium for the tip to this gem in the Jerusalem Post:

Earlier Monday, a group of Israeli lawmakers and former diplomats plan to sue Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, accusing him of conspiring to commit genocide, one of those involved said Monday.

Ahmadinejad recently said Israel should be wiped off the map and dismissed the Nazi Holocaust as a "myth."

Dore Gold, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, said Ahmadinejad's comments violate the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, to which Iran is a signatory. source

Good idea, but I don't believe it will get anywhere.

Here's some good advice for everyone:

The "main obstacle" to Christian-Muslim dialogue, the cardinal said, was the failure, "in a number of Muslim countries, to uphold the principle of religious freedom," reported Independant Catholic News.

"If we do not enjoy the freedom to practise our religion openly and without fear, then we cannot be honest," he [Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the archbishop of Westminster] was quoted as saying. "Dialogue assumes the freedom to witness. It is essential that Muslims can freely worship in Oxford or London, just as it is essential that Christians can freely worship in Riyadh or Kabul."

He told his audience that when religious rights of minorities are disrespected in the name of Islam, " the face of Islam is tarnished elsewhere in the world."source

Linked with Blue Star Chronicles "open trackback Monday and Tuesday"

UPDATE: via Infidel Bloggers Alliance, "Apparently, The Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians May Wear Badges In Iran, After All"

The law has been passed by the Islamic Majlis and will now be submitted to the Council of Guardians. A committee has been appointed to work out the modalities of implementation.

Many ideas are being discussed with regard to implementation, including special markers, known as zonnars, for followers of Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism, the only faiths other than Islam that are recognized as such. ...

We will know once the committee appointed to discuss them presents its report, perhaps in September.