# Iran proposes badges for Non-muslims **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 19, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416 "2006-05-19T16:06:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/1 "2006-05-19T16:06:55Z")
:eek: [http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=11fbf4a8-282a-4d18-954f-546709b1240f](http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=11fbf4a8-282a-4d18-954f-546709b1240f) I am horrified by the similarity to Nazi Germany. Iran was bad, I knew that, but this seems like the first step on the road to genocide. Has this sort of thing _ever_ happened without massive persecution follwing? Am I overreacting? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/2 "2006-05-19T16:17:59Z")
> [@Gaudere](#): > > Am I overreacting? If it turns out to be [false](http://www.940news.com/locale.php?news=2512) you might be. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/3 "2006-05-19T16:21:43Z")
Even that article had one person who says it isn’t true, and one who says it is. (Maybe more “balanced” reporting that requires a pro- and con- on _every_ issue) I do hope it isn’t true, however. ---
**Author:** ![LonesomePolecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a88e57/32.png) [@LonesomePolecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LonesomePolecat)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/4 "2006-05-19T16:36:00Z")
Given Islam’s long history of mistreating dhimmis, does this really surprise anyone? ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/5 "2006-05-19T17:24:20Z")
I think they have a group of people who just sit around and try to think up new ways to piss off the Israelis. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/6 "2006-05-19T17:26:22Z")
> [@Gaudere](#): > > Has this sort of thing _ever_ happened without massive persecution follwing? The Taliban required Afghan Hindus to wear yellow badges. Whether they persecuted them otherwise I don’t know. If not, perhaps the regime just didn’t last long enough to get around to it. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/7 "2006-05-19T17:58:52Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > The Taliban required Afghan Hindus to wear yellow badges. Whether they persecuted them otherwise I don’t know. If not, perhaps the regime just didn’t last long enough to get around to it. They were too busy keeping Muslim women in line, I think. But once that was all taken care of, I’ve no doubt harassment and expulsions would follow. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/8 "2006-05-19T18:03:50Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > I think they have a group of people who just sit around and try to think up new ways to piss off the Israelis. I’m a bad, bad person, because that struck me as really funny. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/9 "2006-05-19T18:04:11Z")
I am thinking this is false or a rogue report. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/10 "2006-05-19T18:18:09Z")
> [@Gaudere](#): > > Am I overreacting? > [@Tapioca Dextrin](#): > > If it turns out to be false you might be. AFAICT, what appears to be definitely true is that the Iranian parliament is [promoting traditional Iranian and Islamic fashion](http://uk.news.yahoo.com/15052006/323/iran-s-conservative-mps-turn-fashion-design.html) as a pushback against increasingly influential Western fashion trends: > [@](#): > > Iran’s parliament has launched a new initiative to promote Iranian and Islamic fashion, with MPs driven by the fear of a “cultural invasion” and inspired by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. > > “Young people’s clothing does not reflect their Islamic and Iranian identity. It is an expression of foreign views,” explained Laleh Eftekhari, one of the 12 female MPs in the 290-seat conservative-controlled assembly. > > “Even if someone wants different outfits there is nothing on offer,” she complained, explaining the reasoning behind the new bill approved by Majlis members on Sunday. > > Every post-pubescent female in Iran, regardless of her nationality or religion, is obliged to observe the Islamic dress code and cover her shape and hair whenever outside the home – preferably in black. > > Although most Iranian women do abide by the rules, in many cities headscarves have been slipping, trouser hems rising and coats tightening. Ayatollah Khamenei voiced alarm over this state of affairs two years ago. […] > > Once rubber-stamped by the Guardians Council political watchdog, the law would oblige the government to sponsor and promote fashion inspired by traditional Iranian patterns and encourage people to avoid “incompatible” foreign fashions. > > For example, state television would need to play its part by making presenters and actors wear suitable clothes. > > “We are not going to impose anything on people. We are against a homogenized look,” insisted Fatemeh Alia, another female MP and member of the parliament’s cultural commission. > > “Our aim is to offer clothes that incorporate modesty, beauty and diversity and at the same time display cultural independence.” […] > > The MPs have not yet revealed pictures of what they regard as “correct” clothes, but they mention Iran’s traditional and regional costumes as an appropriate inspiration. > > Under the new law, the ministries of industry and commerce would also be working hand in hand with the ministry of culture and Islamic guidance to hold exhibitions. I can’t find any documentation on the allegation of colored badges for non-Muslims. If it’s true, however, then no, I don’t think the OP is overreacting to be horrified about it. That sort of attempt at ethnic labeling and segregation is never a good sign. > [@Lonesome Polecat](#): > > Given Islam’s long history of mistreating dhimmis, does this really surprise anyone? I think this sort of complacency is misplaced. After all, Europe in the early 20th century had a long history of mistreating non-Christians, but that doesn’t mean that Nazi Germany’s yellow badges for Jews weren’t a very, very bad sign of exceptional mistreatment to come. IMHO we definitely **should** be surprised and horrified if any modern nation tries to single out its religious minorities with mandatory forms of public identification. The fact that the same country may also have persecuted religious minorities in the past doesn’t justify indifference or refusal to protest at the emergence of new persecutions. But we shouldn’t waste our indignation on alleged persecutions that we don’t have convincing evidence for. Personally, I am currently remaining in a state of suspended outrage, waiting for a better cite. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/11 "2006-05-19T18:30:11Z")
Pointing out people that are different, because they’re different just isn’t good. Human nature tends to rank things and if the minority is marked (or unmarked, and thus, being marked all over again) some people are going to draw conclusions between the two that don’t quite exist. I see little good coming from anything like this. What if we made AIDS patients wear bracelets that had to always be showing? Sure, there’d be a big movement to keep the equality, but some people would find it an excuse to punish or persecute. I’d think that some fundies in this country would love pointing out how AIDS is punishing people and point to the bracelets as a sign of god, or some other similar rubbish. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/12 "2006-05-19T19:28:03Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > The Taliban required Afghan Hindus to wear yellow badges. Whether they persecuted them otherwise I don’t know. If not, perhaps the regime just didn’t last long enough to get around to it. The Talibans stated that these badges were intended to protect the non-muslims by making clear to everybody that various laws didn’t apply to them. They strongly denied they were intended to help persecuting them. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/13 "2006-05-19T20:52:20Z")
There are serious doubts about the acurracy of the original article… [http://www.940news.com/locale.php?news=2512](http://www.940news.com/locale.php?news=2512) ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/14 "2006-05-19T21:01:07Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > There are serious doubts about the acurracy of the original article… > > [http://www.940news.com/locale.php?news=2512](http://www.940news.com/locale.php?news=2512) Well, that link was posted above. I don’t think that it is enough to cast "serious doubts on the story, in fact, I’m not sure either article has enought information or is based upon a reliable enough source to know which is actually true. I agree with Kimstu: > [@Kimstu](#): > > But we shouldn’t waste our indignation on alleged persecutions that we don’t have convincing evidence for. Personally, I am currently remaining in a state of suspended outrage, waiting for a better cite. However, if it is true, whoa nellie… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/15 "2006-05-19T21:06:13Z")
IMHO, this report smells like a propaganda piece to me. It plays directly into the hands of those who would foment war hysteria and the demonisation of the Other. It needs to be checked out and verified or disproved as soon as possible. What Iranian ‘expatriots [sic]’ are the source, and what axe, if any, do they have to grind? ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/16 "2006-05-19T21:12:06Z")
United Press has this: > **[Iran may force badges on Jews, Christians](https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2006/05/19/Iran-may-force-badges-on-Jews-Christians/51981148051361/?u3L=1)** > > Iran's parliament passed a new law this week that would force the country's Jews, Christians and other religious minorities to wear color-coded ID badges. ---
**Author:** ![Henry-Finland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@Henry-Finland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henry-Finland)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/17 "2006-05-19T21:43:52Z")
It is a hoax. The original [Canada.com](http://Canada.com) article has dissappeared and now they have this: > [@](#): > > OTTAWA (CP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper was quick to condemn Iran on Friday for an anti-Semitic law that appears not to exist. > > Harper seized on a report in the National Post newspaper that Iran’s hardline government would require Jews and Christians to wear coloured labels in public. > > The prime minister couldn’t vouch for the accuracy of the report, but said Iran was capable of such actions, which he compared to Nazi practices. > > “Unfortunately, we’ve seen enough already from the Iranian regime to suggest that it is very capable of this kind of action,” Harper said. > > "We’ve seen a number of things from the Iranian regime that are along these lines . . . > > “It boggles the mind that any regime on the face of the Earth would want to do anything that could remind people of Nazi Germany.” > > But western journalists based in Iran said they knew of no such law being passed. And Iranian politicians - including a Jewish legislator in Tehran - were infuriated by the Post report, which they said was false. > > Politician Morris Motamed, one of about 25,000 Jews who live in Iran, called the report a slap in the face to his minority community. > > “Such a plan has never been proposed or discussed in parliament,” Motamed told the Associated Press. > > “Such news, which appeared abroad, is an insult to religious minorities here.” [http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=9070ec32-f409-4161-9e96-7bae0436ccc3&k=66789](http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=9070ec32-f409-4161-9e96-7bae0436ccc3&k=66789) Henry ---
**Author:** ![Sevastopol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Sevastopol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevastopol)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/18 "2006-05-20T02:44:34Z")
Who would put about such a hoax? And to what end? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/19 "2006-05-20T02:57:49Z")
> [@Sevastopol](#): > > Who would put about such a hoax? And to what end? Defamation? The Iranian regime has a lot of enemies, at home and abroad. ---
**Author:** ![Henry-Finland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@Henry-Finland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henry-Finland)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416/20 "2006-05-20T05:36:31Z")
> [@Sevastopol](#): > > Who would put about such a hoax? And to what end? **Sevastopol!** I like your post, and do not remember when I would have disagreed, but now I have to ask you: Are you serious about your question? The media-war should be discussed more, but you are naturally aware of it? It is the mother of all wars. Henry [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-proposes-badges-for-non-muslims/357416.md?page=2)