It appears that mere blogging with flogging is not enough. Beheading bloggers will now be the new rage in Persia. In its race back to the Dark Ages, Iran and its Mullahs have written a new law that would put bloggers to death for any writing that is viewed as advocating corruption, prostitution, or desertion of Islam. Such bloggers would be deemed mohareb (an enemy of God) and “corrupt of the earth.” This category of criminals allows the Iranian “courts” to inflict a range of punishment that includes amputations and execution.
The legislation has all but killed my plans to roll out the new www.mohareb.com site.
Iran’s effort to censure any free voices on the Internet has increased in recent years as religious fanatics try to protect their control of the country.
Iranian blogger Mojtaba Saminejad reportedly spent 21 months in an Iranian prison, including an alleged 88 days of solitary confinement and torture. His crime: insulting Iran’s head of state.
Perhaps it can be viewed as encouraging that the Internet is such a threat that the Iranian government is taking such measures. As the Chinese have discovered, “netizens” can be a pesky problem, click here.
Sadly, JT, this doesn’t surprise me at all, and there are some “christian” fundamentalists in the U.S. who probably feel the same about anyone who “insults” the faith simply by questioning or criticizing it. If some of them had their way, we would have laws against “blasphemy” that would make any form of criticism of religion in general and christianity in particular, be that criticism spoken or written, a high felony offense.
I do consider this indicative of how much dissent is occurring in Iran. In this country we use fear of terrorist attack to stifle rational anaylsis and action (see the Senate and FISA). In Iran, the weapon of choice is “insulting” Islam.
Islam has a proud tradition of encouraging tolerance and knowledge. The West owes Islam a debt for keeping much knowledge alive, while our Christian leaders were burning books and apostates. It is shameful to declare that learning/thinking and Islam are incompatible.
The leaders of both countries are far too similar for my comfort level. They each play on the ugliest aspects of their society to gain and keep complete control over the people. It is disgusting. Brutality is effective and the tool of every dictator. Our Senate is about to give over great power to those who have tortured.
I respect and admire the dissidents of Iran. There are many of them and their courage is great.
Is there some way we can make sure that Townhall.com and all of its bloggers are posted in Iran???
History has sadly proved time and again that whenever religion is mixed in with governance, intolerance and tyranny run rampant. This occurs despite the type of religion seeking and/or taking power. The reason is obvious to anyone willing to view the issue dispassionately without the filter of their own particular religious beliefs. Even a seemingly non-violent belief such as Buddhism has had in periods and places incidents of of repressive violence in the name of belief.
The reason is that in the end religious leaders are human and fallible.
Their motivations are variously and combined as greed, lust for power, prejudice, sexuality and even personal doubts about their own faith that are projected onto others. If the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount and Golden Rule can be turned into a vengeful warrior by his supposed ministry, all forms of excess become possible. Susan and Jill are quite correct all faiths have been guilty of this disgusting excess in the name of their deity.
Michael, I wish I could say otherwise, but the “preponderance of evidence” of religion’s lust for power and control is painfully obvious to anyone who reads JT’s blog or keeps up with everyday news. If fear and intimidation aren’t working, try something stronger. I know of at least one kinder, gentler religion, such as Unitarian Universalist, that doesn’t engage in these terror tactics. I’m sure there are a few others, at least I hope so! The hard-liners should try taking a lesson or two from the gentler ones; they might gain more respect that way.
Then I suppose that stating “civilization” is a result of civilized behavior and emotionally insecure control freaks need not apply, pretty much puts my head on the block.
SMILING
ps. Lessons in the basic Principals of cause and effect would definitely help. As in, if I desire to be adored, then I must genuinely BE adorable. For one is the cause and the other, an effect.
I guess they haven’t read the news. Whatever emotion we “feel” is a result of the peptide production inside our own heads. Maybe learning how to be Self Governing would also help? For “secure” is a PSYCHOLOGICAL state of mind.
Wow..
…imagine what they’d do to me.