Ok, I get mad at some bloggers, but the Parliament of Iran is seriously considering applying death penalty to those who under Quranic law, "spread mischief via the internet".
First, I am opposed to all death penalty. I find it to be an anachronistic vindictive tradition that has no place in modern times. Second, this raises my issue with religions that impose legal frameworks from hundreds of years ago to now.
Watch this clip from Al Jazeera and see what the logic is. They cannot control bloggers, so the fear of death penalty will be used to dissuade from blogging against the government.
Now of course these patriarchal fools, the supreme leaders of hypocrisy, will use that to make an example of someone and start a public theater. The law is not passed yet, but it is seriously being considered.
So, what may under laws suggested in a book written 800 AD, "causing mischief against the leaders", now a days, we call free speech and a duty of the citizen. I hope I live to see these guys come tumbling down. I enjoyed watching the Shah fall, but then these guys took over, maybe I will see them fall.
C'mon Iranian bloggers, give them some mischief.
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GaryBaumgarten
Kevin Lee
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For all its flaws, I love this country and now that it's pulling itself back from the brink of its own Western brand of religious tyranny, I'm all the more grateful that I can sit here at a keyboard, write something I believe, and let the world see it without fear of repercussion.
Iran may not be on the Axis of Evil, but...well, you know my feelings about all ancient religions that have been anachronistically hauled into modern times, I suspect.
Thumbs.
It is small wonder that they fear the internet because it is truly democratic and free. So right, it is not God's laws but men's interpretations which are evil.
Great topic.
I am against the regimes in those countries. Like the Saudis propped by us and the Iranians propped by their own insanity.
The mulahs, if they impose publicly the same actions as the Shah, will see the same fate (and not a moment too soon)>
The CIA infiltrated Iran in the 1950s and overthrew the DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF IRAN SO AS TO INSTALL THE SHAH!! The Shah was corrupt, arrogant, and spent his nation's revenues on AMERICAN military hardware: planes, weapons, tanks, helicopters, etc. while the people starved and had no health or education services.
Considering the corruption in this country and the fact that selling weapons is our biggest industry, we de-stabilized another nation so that the weapons' industry could reap huge profits. Therefore, intense hatred of the USA was created in a public more and more responsive to its Muslim leaders.....and the rest is history, as they say.
I attended graduate school in the 1970s with a number of Iranians (my alma mater, G. Peabody College, now of Vanderbilt University, is one of the most prestigious graduate schools in the world with a huge international student population!) What I didn't know at the time, but soon found out, was that the American government allowed the Shah's secret police, the Savak to spy on Iranians in this country. So, there were actually Savak agents on Peabody's campus spying on Iranian graduate students while I was there!! Some of my fellow students from Iran were actually the Shah's agents!!!!!
What a country!! Sowing discord and hatred and death so as to sell weapons!! And what's the American reponse now? Attack Iran!!!
Freedom ain't a state like Maine or Virginia
Freedom ain't across some county line
Freedom is a flame that burns within ya
Freedom's in the state of mind
Freedom, freedom,
Freedom, freedom
Freedom is a flame that burns within ya
Freedom's in the state of mind
Freedom ain't a boat that's leaving without ya
Freedom ain't a place ya float to find
Freedom's in the how ya think about ya
Freedom's in the state of mind
Freedom, freedom,
Freedom, freedom
Freedom's in the how ya think about ya
Freedom's in the state of mind
You can't get to freedom by riding on a train
The only way to freedom is right on through your brain
Freedom is a notion sweeping the nation
Freedom is the right of all mankind
Freedom is a body's imagination
Freedom is a state of mind
Freedom, freedom
Freedom, freedom
Freedom is a full-time occupation
Freedom's in the state of mind
Freedom, freedom
Freedom, freedom
Freedom is a notion sweeping the nation
Freedom is a body's imagination
Freedom is a full-time occupation
Freedom's in the state of mind
Gotta love freedom. :-D
Thumbed.
Iran's problems with the world are not just about the nasty things the US did to Iran in the 50s or even the 70s. The Shah was toppled 30 years ago; 30 years after the US NUKED Japan - twice - the Japanese were selling Hondas to the US. It's time the Iranian mullahs mellowed out on their anti-American attitudes.
But they won't, because they're drinking the same kool-aid that so much of the radical Moslem world is drinking. It isn't the CIA's actions over 50 years ago in Iran that caused the Taliban, or the Moslem terror in the Phillipines, Thailand, Gaza, Egypt, Europe, India, Pakistan...
Your focusing on the US as the cause of anti-US hatred in Iran, while ignoring all that goes on in the rest of the world is quite provincial.
Amy, Iran is complex. That is why I had an initial hesitation on posting this because it brings out the anti islamic and the myopic anti Iran hordes.
The Iranian government recognizes the blogs as the Ayatollah Khomeini tapes of the new era, that's why they're so worried.
Bombing cities does not make the people want to change the government, nor do blockades. Information and persuasion are slow but sure.
____
"So, what may under laws suggested in a book written 800 AD, "causing mischief against the leaders", now a days, we call free speech and a duty of the citizen.
____
In our 4th Amendment, the "papers" part ("...secure in their persons, papers, houses, and effects...") owed directly to Colonial hatred of the Crown's "Seditious Libel" prosecutorial tradition.
Also, while my comment is critical of radical Moslem terror groups, and the Iranian government which supports them, it is in no way "anti islamic," unless you consider those groups and the Iranian government the entire face of Islam. (Do you?)
Superstition, a.k.a. “religion”, serves no good societal purpose, especially in an overcrowded world. It’s not like our own nation is not constantly fighting off such asinine superstitious beliefs:
Consider this quote from a recent article regarding Kentucky state law and the Dept. of Homeland Security:
Under state law, God is Kentucky's first line of defense against terrorism.
The 2006 law organizing the state Office of Homeland Security lists its initial duty as "stressing the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth."
Specifically, Homeland Security is ordered to publicize God's benevolent protection in its reports, and it must post a plaque at the entrance to the state Emergency Operations Center with an 88-word statement that begins, "The safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God."
"This is recognition that government alone cannot guarantee the perfect safety of the people of Kentucky," Riner said. "Government itself, apart from God, cannot close the security gap. The job is too big for government."
And then there is this from the UNITED NATIONS - “Islamic countries Monday won United Nations backing for an anti-blasphemy measure Canada and other Western critics say risks being used to limit freedom of speech.”
Enlightened human beings, which does not necessarily exclude all religious people, had better wake the hell up about religion, regardless of the nation or the brand.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/facebook/5046447/Facebook-could-be-monitored-by-the-government.html
It is under the basis of fear of terrorism etc, but advocates of civil liberties are asking if there is other intentions in monitoring what you and I put on the internet.
sick as shit of "American" Jews propagandizing against the middle eastern peoples...
Why? The themes that mimic our everyday lives but go a step further and tie up the loose ends and give the good guys (us) a happy ending.
WOOF
Lets see, a video or starting a war like in Iraq? I choose the video.
Pablo, I will check it out.
Rated
Omar Efendi, like they say in Egypt, "salimah".
sick as shit of "American" Jews propagandizing against the middle eastern peoples..."
There's one in every crowd, right? I know Stellaa is more than capable of defending herself, but I just want to make a point. If you look back at earlier posts you would see that Stellaa passionately defended the rights of the Palestinian people during the Gaza invasion. I really don't think you want to enter unarmed into a battle of wits with her, however fun it might be to watch her run rings around you.
Did not bother with "it".
I do not doubt that:
"I have it on good authority that the average Iranian teenager is up to more "mischief" than the any mobile mullah patrol is probably humanly or inhumanly capable of keeping up with.."
but what you fail to say is that this observation is only about boys, young women would not dare to do these things. A pity that this teenage love play can only be carried out on one side.
"I am not speaking against Islam, if it stays as a religion. I have the same sentiment against all religions. Especially the ones that come with legal systems that mandate punishments and rules from thousands of years ago and a bunch of guys holding on to the reigns of power in a changing world. Let go fellas."
amen stellaa. let's hope people over there will grow as sick of their repessive regime as we did of ours here.
Always Americans view Muslimahs, that is to say Muslim women as such neutralized and powerless people. Do you not know that in most Middle Eastern families that the real power is exerted by the matriarch and not the "man of the house." Get off your act, it's as old as Ali's. If you haven't any real world experiences please don't pontificate like one of the pious ones..we have enough of them already.
Iran has tons upon tons of bloggers. This will not end well for the mullahs if they pursue it.
newblog - welcome first. Second, both the USSR and Apartheid South Africa crumbled without any direct military assault upon them.
(Natalie B)
"Natalie, thanks, did not even know he or it was speaking to me.
Did not bother with "it"." (Stellaa)
Stellaa and Natalie, it is worth noting that the offending comments came from one who has not yet been able to write a blog of there own, and the comments written by this same source have all been negative and vindictive towards other bloggers. That kind of gives an indication of the qualityof where the comment came from. Any one with little ability can seek to destroy, but it takes some one of some worth to build and bring something positive into life.
Stellaa, well done for a noble response.
On the women of the middle east, gads...that is another topic. Omar Effendi has some truths. In some neighborhoods the women are the Sheh's...the bosses of the neighborhood, at least in Egypt. Each country is different. But still, women that are not covered up Omar are treated like sharmutahs and taunted. Go figure.
We have moved away from the topic. Why can we not discuss this one issue, freedom of speech in Iran and applying the antiquated legal structure from a century old religious system on to modern times.
Yes, the open minded Greeks....!!!!
Free speech is my favorite right. I think everything else flows from it. Take it away, and every other freedom is imperiled, because you can't speak up to defend them. So I revere that old saying about how "I might disagree with what you say but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."
" YOU ARE FREE, TO DO AS WE TELL YOU! YOU ARE FREE, TO DO AS WE TELL YOU! GO BACK TO BED, AMERICA, YOUR GOVERNMENT HAS FIGURED IT ALL OUT. YOU ARE FREE, TO DO AS WE TELL YOU!"
-the late great Bill Hicks
Highest percentage number of citizens behind bars.
Somewhere near 30th best in most health care categories.
An unprecedented 44 countries militarily intervened in since WWII - Grenada, anyone?
#1 arms merchant to the world.
Recaptured Nathan's hot dog eating championship (usa, usa, usa).
My voluntary expatriate life has had me live in eleven different countries, and there is no doubt that american hardly comes close to being best by most metrics of civilization.
new brog's got it right - we just need to employ more 5,000 bombs. There are ~ 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. Incinerating them shouldn't be much of a problem for a military that has bungled most of the adventures its embarked upon since WWII.(and before)
"Best country on the earth," the feeble cry of xenophobes or those incapable of wading through the pap that is supposedly an informed populace.