The bizarre world of Iranian extremism was evident again this week as clerics in Iran raised a hue and cry over a picture where President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is shown consoling Hugo Chavez’s mother with a hug. Clerics called the picture a sin and abomination against Islam. They also attacked another cleric, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Mirtajeddini, who felt no moral difficulty in lying about the hug and saying that the photo was doctored.
One of the clerics, Mohammad Taqi Rahbar, from Qom denounced the hug as “forbidden” and a sin: “Touching a non-mahram (a woman who is not a close relative) is forbidden under any circumstances, whether shaking hands or touching by the cheek … and contrary to the dignity of the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Ahmadinejad was also denounced for calling Chavez a “martyr” who will be resurrected like Jesus Christ and Imam Mahdit, a 9th century saint revered by Shiite Muslims. One cleric wrote “Your knowledge of religious issues is limited and no intervention could be made in this matter.”
The role of Iranian Vice President and cleric Mohammad Reza Mirtajeddini is particularly interesting. For all of his religiosity, Mirtajeddini did not hesitate to say that he was present at the time and the hug never occurred. He accused the media of doctoring the photograph.
Of course, Ahmadinejad and Mirtajeddini clearly lost a kindred spirit. Chavez worked to destroy the free press in the country and embraced every tyrant on Earth, including Ahmadinejad.
Source: OregonLive
Ralph.
I would say an apology is order from you to both Gene and Mark. Your comment about them being put to death for disagreeing with you is completely unacceptable.
i need to buy stock in reynolds aluminum. these boys can go through some tinfoil.
That said, if such laws were ever enacted in your states, I would be the first to fight on your behalf to have your sentences reduced to life imprisonment. I’m a “compassionate” guy too.
Gene and Mespo: You guys are very fortune indeed that the states where you respectively reside do not make stupidity a crime. If they did, given the levels you’ve exhibited, they would have no choice but to impose the death penalty.
LK,
I think when Hugo took over all of the major oil assets….. Halliburton was heaving in drilling….. That’s about when the love was lost…. If I recall……
Yeah, Gene H. Shut up! We don’t need no more of your stinkin’ logic skewering the predictable conservative talking points rising from the conservative landfill like zombies. Just agree with Ralph!
Ralph:
“I’m sure you Lefties out there had a good cry over the photo and news coverage of the “compassionate” Ahmadinijad comforting the widow of Leftist Chavez. It just so warms the heart doesn’t it. And you will feel even ever so warm-and-fuzzy when you learn that the Islam-Nazi clerics will show “mercy” and “forgiveness” in response to Ahmadinijad’s hugging photo opp. See, their just warm, wonderful human beings, right? ”
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Not sure they’re “wonderful human beings” but at least this gang of right-wing religious fanatics does seem to show more compassion than you do. Maybe Iran got first pick!
Besides….we have no lack of idiots in this country as others do in theirs. To wit: the idiots in the previous blog who are unable to distinguish between “kids in the bathtub” and child pornography. And I bet a few of the “horrified” are members of somebodies clergy!
Why the hell are we arguing about a hug? Why aren’t we having an interesting discussion about “thought” crimes – as in cannibal?
Darren Smith says:
“Even we Subaru drivers know snowjobs and mud slinging when we see it, and we plow on through with our full time all wheel drive just as easily as we do through conspiracy theorist ramblings.”
Always good to hear from someone who knows the Bush 9/11 conspiracy theory is a lie. You must have studied the evidence. Now, check out the links for the SAND HOOK hoax, and if you are honest, you’ll agree that it’s also just that: a hoax.
P.S. I had a Subaru XT at one time. Fine car.
Ralph,
No.
The whining is just getting on my last nerve.
====================================================
second that
Oh please, Turley is anti-Muslim? No. He appears to be anti-extreme, anti- crazy as state policy, and litters his blawg with examples of religious extremism of all stripes wherever they occur on a weekly basis.
Maybe the problem is that Muslim countries that have radical religious clerics imposing inhumane and hate-filled public policies ought to just tone it down if they and their defenders don’t want it commented on. Maybe the US states in the thrall of old-testament religious fundamentalists imposing their twisted version of Christianity ought to just tone it down if they don’t like being placed in the spotlight. Maybe federal legislators in Congress that don’t want to be held up to ridicule for their religion-based attempts to turn the clock back to 1950 (or 1650) need to just tone it down and get with the 21st century.
For apologists for barbarism to state in effect that because it’s religion or culture or historical tradition and thus off limits for condemnation and ridicule is what is amazing, people doing barbaric, pre-intellectual acts under color of religion and culture should be loudly condemned, ridiculed and laughed at as fools. The Professor does that pretty regularly no matter where the fools reside or which country, statehouse or carved out, deal-with-the-devil, sovereign state they occupy.
The whining is just getting on my last nerve.
Gene, could you just shut up? Your stupidity is abominable, even for a Leftist. And that’s saying a lot.
Arthur Randolph Erb, Bettykath, Right. Credit where credit is due.
Much of the hatred of Chavez in the US is tied to that imperialist mentality that still thinks everywhere south of the US is just an extended plantation for us and our friends to exploit. Chavez was just too ‘uppity’ and joining the world club where 75% of the worlds oil reserves are state owned/controlled was the sin beyond forgiving- they supplied 15% of ‘our’ oil after all and stuck their thumb in the eye of our good friends the oil companies. Sending aid to our indigenous people (while oil companies were racking up obscene profits but holding the line on oil aid) was just the last straw.
Chavez wasn’t out of step with the rest of the world regarding oil policy, we are, we should have nationalized our energy resources decades ago.
An old article from a conservative mag from that time:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1616644,00.html
Mike (Spindell)
I must apologize for bringing my cousins into this. They had nothing to do with it really. I just wanted to make a point based on my assumptions, which themselves were based on my personal feeling of the targeting of one group over the others. Perhaps I was wrong and perhaps you are right that there is a parity between the 2 groups.regarding how often each is brought up.
Po,
When it comes to family (in a broad sense) tempers flare. In the end those who would define any religion in fundsmentalist terms, do it a disservice thst has liitle to do with morality.
Ralph,
Only a total dink would view someone – anyone – comforting a grieving mother through the lens of political polarity. If you died before your mother, would you want a “Leftist” comforting your grieving mother or would you want them screaming in her face “I’m glad your right wing idiot theocratic fascist son is dead!”? Would that be acceptable to you? On a strictly humanist level (I know, that offends your political sensibilities that someone think of people before politics)?
Dink.
It really is no wonder that the Ralph Adamo from New Orleans is so distressed people might think you are the same person.
ooooh Rock me Ahmadinejad
I’m sure you Lefties out there had a good cry over the photo and news coverage of the “compassionate” Ahmadinijad comforting the widow of Leftist Chavez. It just so warms the heart doesn’t it. And you will feel even ever so warm-and-fuzzy when you learn that the Islam-Nazi clerics will show “mercy” and “forgiveness” in response to Ahmadinijad’s hugging photo opp. See, their just warm, wonderful human beings, right? And to think that this “news” comes on trhe heels of another heart warming story, Leftist Dennis Rodman and his newfound Leftist buddy, Kim Jong Un. And with Leftist Sean Penn going to Chavez’s funeral and having a good cry, you should all be feeling exceptionally good about yourselves. Always remember your mantr: you’re Leftists, and Leftists are good people.
Even we Subaru drivers know snowjobs and mud slinging when we see it, and we plow on through with our full time all wheel drive just as easily as we do through conspiracy theorist ramblings.