Iran considering the death penalty for ‘offensive’ bloggers.
Iran considering the death penalty for ‘offensive’ bloggers.
Al Jazeera’s Nazanin Sadri reports that Iran is considering a new law that would allow the death penalty for “offensive” bloggers:
Under a strict interpretation of Islamic law, Individuals can be sentenced to death for two main categories of crime. The first is murder. The second is known as ‘fasad,’ which means spreading mischief or undermining the authority or stability of the state. What that constitutes is open to interpretation. In the past it has been applied to rape, adultery, drug-related offenses, and homosexual behavior. Iran now wants to introduce the death penalty for bloggers who write about and promote illegal activities.
Watch Sadri’s report:
According to the report, there are about 60,000 active bloggers in Iran, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
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Well Shiite, Archie and JK THE BOLD should thank the lucky stars the don’t reside in Iran!
March 25th, 2009 at 10:48 amThe world has become an integrated place.
I respect this effort to highlight the intolerance of Islamic fundamentalism.
Pushing back against not just Christian or Conservative intolerance, but intolerance from any quarter, is admirable.
Thank you, ThinkProgress.
March 25th, 2009 at 10:55 amDamn, this sucks. If Iran increases its annual execution rate due to this, we’ll never catch up. We’ve already dropped to a dismal fourth place as it is. :(
March 25th, 2009 at 10:55 amThe best news I heard today….the sooner some get killed, the sooner we have riots in the streets, the sooner the people of Iran can overthrow the fascist religious F***s.
REPRESS REPRESS….KEEP THE MAN DOWN.
Change will happen…the bloody way in Iran.
March 25th, 2009 at 10:56 amIran considering the death penalty for ‘offensive’ bloggers.
– - Puh-tooey! And I fling my virtual shoes in your general direction!
March 25th, 2009 at 10:58 amDick Cheney is intrigued by this idea and would like to hear more.
http://www.pufferfishblog.com/
March 25th, 2009 at 10:59 amWhy can I imagine a multitude of conservatives secretly wishing that Bush could have gone that far and eliminated all the liberals?
Any trolls want to support that (in America, NOT Iran, of course)?
March 25th, 2009 at 11:01 amNote to self, never blog in Iran.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:02 amSeems harsh – even wrong, but if david brooks gets his….
Who are we to judge other countries and cultures?
March 25th, 2009 at 11:04 amLooks like Iran took their cue from a trial balloon floated by the chimpy administration and is actually putting it into practice.
The original author is most likely 5-deferment Dickhead Cheney.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:06 amJust “WHO” in Iran is considering the death penalty?
Possibly the EXTREMIST RW who interpret the Koran to promote their own agendas?? As in women must be shrouded in berkas [as our own RW extremists who hypocritically bomb women's health clinics and are proponents of the death peanlty] . .
The Koran says “women should dress modestly’ NOW interpreted by RWer’s that women should be covered from head to toe under penalty of DEATH . .
This new idiotic proposal ain’t gonna happen . .
March 25th, 2009 at 11:11 amAnother Joe Says:
Who are we to judge other countries and cultures?
March 25th, 2009 at 11:04 am
_________
We are an adoptee of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states:
Iran is also an adoptee, though the current Irani regime has voiced some objections to it in the past.
That’s what gives us the right to object to human rights abuses both here and abroad.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:23 amBill O’Reilly, regularly describes The Daily Kos, Media Matters and lately Think Progress as ‘hate sites’. And we know our MSM hates bloggers. So they should be quite sympathetic to the Mullahs’ attitude.
But if they pick up on this story, it will be to demand that Obama have no dialog with Iranian regime otherwise he’ll be guilty of murder and will prove how morally bankrupt communo-fascist liberals really are!
(Of course they’ll fail to draw any parallels with Bush’s negotiations with China and North Korea, nor will they mention Bush’s good friend Putin, whose press critics so often and totally by coincidence kept suffering from immediate terminal health conditions in the middle of the street).
March 25th, 2009 at 11:24 amtoasterhead. Nicely put.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:26 amummmmmmmmmmmm….
toasterhead…
When the US lives up to its responsibilities under said agreement, then I will listen to condescending BS about how we have a right to blah blah blah blah…
March 25th, 2009 at 11:29 amI see the virtue in not judging other cultures, but with that logic, you could make the arguement that we should just let the people of Darfur die.
I think it makes sense to not just defend our rights at self expression, but those rights for everyone.
Especially, in an increasingly integrated world.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:31 amLizCoro Says:
Just “WHO” in Iran is considering the death penalty?
Possibly the EXTREMIST RW who interpret the Koran to promote their own agendas??
March 25th, 2009 at 11:11 am
_______________
It’s corruption wrapped in a veneer of religion, the same as the religious right in our country. They see bloggers as a threat to their power, and are using a knee-jerk tactic in a desperate move to stay in control.
It’s not going to work. Even if it passes, people will find ways around it. They’ll work through proxy servers and obfuscate their identities and host their blogs outside the jurisdiction of the religious police.
I also wouldn’t doubt that this is a thinly-veiled ploy to intimidate would-be reformers from campaigning and networking online for Iran’s upcoming elections. I find the timing of this extremely interesting.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:33 amThe second is known as ‘fasad,’ which means spreading mischief or undermining the authority or stability of the state.
the preceeding thread names names…
March 25th, 2009 at 11:34 amseems our rushpublicons are highly qualified fasad-ists…
Another Joe. I think you can concurrently expect more out of U.S. policy and Iranian policy.
Two wrongs don’t make it right. Iranians (and the world) will be better off if they have more freedom of expression. And the U.S. can do better living up to the agreement that toasterhead acknowledges.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:35 amFinally. Something that BillO can agree with Iran on.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:36 amAny luck, this will be a wedge issue in the campaign. Something that’ll sink Ahmadinejad and send him back to work as an engineer.
The only hope for Iran is Mousavi…a reformist who doesn’t relentless antagonize the West while ignoring the plight of his populace.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:36 amAnother Joe Says:
toasterhead…
When the US lives up to its responsibilities under said agreement, then I will listen to condescending BS about how we have a right to blah blah blah blah…
March 25th, 2009 at 11:29 am
__________
Fair enough. I didn’t realize human rights was an either-or proposition.
I’ve always thought that progressive-minded people could fight for human rights in the United States and in other countries simultaneously, and that we could criticize abuses committed by our own government as well as abuses committed by foreign governments.
Apparently I was mistaken.
No worries – you’re not the first person to call me a hypocrite, and you certainly won’t be the last.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:37 amtoasterhead. those are also good points.
I have always found it curious that in America, it is the religious right that seems to be the most fervently opposed to Islamic fundamentalism; when many of the tenets are similar.
Opposition to gays, pornography, women’s rights, drugs, etc. You would think that those on the religious right would be more likely to turn a blind eye. The agendas are remarkably similar.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:40 amAm I drunk this morning, or is backup making sense?
March 25th, 2009 at 11:43 amkaty Says:
The second is known as ‘fasad,’ which means spreading mischief or undermining the authority or stability of the state.
the preceeding thread names names…
seems our rushpublicons are highly qualified fasad-ists…
March 25th, 2009 at 11:34 am
_________
Hmmm, let’s see. According to the English-Arabi dictionary, “fasad” also means “go astray, be corrupt, deviate from what is right, be or become vicious, be or become pervert(ed), stray(from the right path), be errant, be or become spoiled, spoil, botch, decay, degenerate, decompose, deteriorate, corrupt, rot, be or become marred, be or become putrid, disintegrate.”
Yup, sounds like the Republican party alright.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:44 amwags Says:
Am I drunk this morning, or is backup making sense?
March 25th, 2009 at 11:43 am
___________
Yes on both counts.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:47 amSweeeet.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:50 amHmmm, China behaves similarly and is America’s largest trading partner and U.S. debt holder.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article719659.ece
March 25th, 2009 at 11:51 amJust like the Righties here at home,
always looking for an excuse to punish someone.
Always believing that, if they just punish enough people hard enough, God will love them more.
That’s sad.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:59 amI am afraid the conservatives will use this as fodder to fuel anti-Islamic sentiment. There is a very sizeable moderate, secular part of Iran that is chafing under this type of repression. Our job is to make it easier for that faction to wrest control of the government…but it can’t be done by breaking off diplomacy in the region.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:59 amAs I read this I remember all the posts from extreme conservatives saying that all liberals should be executed for treason, or at the very least locked up in concentration camps until the end the Iraq war.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:00 pmRepublicans could support that.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:07 pmIran needs a good dose of liberalism, intravenously if possible, air dropped if necessary and our President is just the one to make this happen and save the many lives of innocent Iranians.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:10 pmbackup Says:
Opposition to gays, pornography, women’s rights, drugs, etc. You would think that those on the religious right would be more likely to turn a blind eye. The agendas are remarkably similar.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:40 am
____________
In theory, yes. But the Christian fundamentalist whackos see Islamic fundamentalist whackos as competition. They’ll turn a blind eye in much the same way that the Coca-Cola Company will turn a blind eye on Pepsi.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:12 pmWhy don’t they just go right ahead and execute everybody who isn’t a mullah? That’ll solve the problem of “un-islamic behaviour” for them.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:15 pmb-cup says:
Since when have you stopped drinking the Rethuglic party kool-aid?
Who are you, really? And what have you done to the REAL b-cup?
March 25th, 2009 at 12:28 pmcandide. It could be. But, the point needs to be stressed. The problem is not Islam. The problem is intolerance. The intolerance to deny people’s right’s to expression, gay right’s, women’s rights, and freedom from religious prosecution, etc.
you are right. It could be used by the right for anti-Islamic purposes. But, it is also an outstanding opportunity to highlight the similarities (and errant nature) of the agendas of the religious right and Islamic fundamentalists.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:34 pmUncle Ho. I agree with progressives on a number of issues. This is one of those.
I could still disagree with you on probably a hundred issues, but on this one, I assume we are allies.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:37 pmSlappy – I fully agree. If we really wanted to change the complexion of the Islamic world, we’d declare a “Cultural Freedom War” on them, and put Larry Flynt and Ellen DeGeneres in charge of the whole thing.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:41 pmb-cup;
It’s just that your recent posts are such a radical departure from the past.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:41 pmI concede that usually I’m on the other side of most issues here. But, I think I usually post comments that support gay rights, women’s rights, and general promotion of tolerance.
I have supported Bush’s policies in the middle east (and now support Obama), in part because, although I oppose Christian fundamentalism, I believe Islamic fundamentalism is even more intolerant to the individual liberties that I believe in.
That’s probably where the perception of inconsistency originates. I understand if it doesn’t make sense.
I am still at odds to the balance of opposing Islamic fundamentalism and respecting the right’s of other cultures to self determination.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:58 pmHuman beings with our own values, opinions and prejudices.
In my opinion there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying our culture is BETTER than another. It isn’t close minded. It’s not that everything is equal and there are just differences. Some cultures are acutally better than others.
Freedom of religion is better than state sponsored/enforced
Freedom of expression is better than imprisoning political opponents.
and on and on and on…
That said, we have zero business intruding on another countries sovereignty because we feel their culture is inferior.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:05 pmIf the “bloggers who write about and promote illegal activities” were advocating acts of terrorism, I could understand this law. Not condone it (I still believe everybody has a right to a fair trial), but at least I’d understand it.
ANY blogsite devoted to promoting terrorism deserves investigation, no matter what country it’s in.
However, I’m willing to bet this isn’t what Iran is talking about. I think it’s far more likely they want to kill anybody who says anything the guys in charge don’t agree with — creating an ever-changing definition of “illegal”. Which puts this in the same ballpark as Hitler’s Germany.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:11 pmdeebaser. There is the idea of Islam imperialism. The idea that it is a goal of Islamic societies to spread throughout the world and also spread Islamic law.
If we don’t address the limits to free expression in Iran, aren’t we strengthing the hand of those in Iran that would like to pursue future limits on not just Iranian liberty, but ours as well?
March 25th, 2009 at 1:18 pm>Iran considering the death penalty
> for ‘offensive’ bloggers.
Sounds like Bill Kristol and Karl Rove’s wet dream.
March 25th, 2009 at 1:55 pmFunny,and the right wingers in this country claim they have nothing in common with Iran….
Cheers, backup, you’re renewing my faith in bipartisanship. I’m glad you took the time to post what you’ve posted today. Thank you.
I agree with you about the dangers of religious fundamentalism. To me, that’s part of the reason why Iraq is such a tragedy. For all his sins as a dictator (and yes, some of them were monstrous), Saddam Hussein was seen as a largely secular leader. With our invasion of Iraq, we have strengthened the hand of the fundamentalists Saddam stood in opposition to, both in Iraq and in Iran.
If our goal was to increase acceptance of, say, women’s rights in the Middle East (which I consider a hugely worthy goal, and a big potential check against religious extremism), most signs in Iraq point to that having backfired.
While it’s important to respect other countries’ right to self-determination, I believe we need a coherent strategy to handle the dangers inherent in any kind of religious imperialism. Sadly, the last administration failed at this, but I’m hopeful the current one will succeed.
March 25th, 2009 at 2:30 pmIm sure this is next for anyone with a view point which is critical of the Chosen One
March 25th, 2009 at 3:16 pmtroll clean-up at #50. Hazmat team to aisle 4 STAT!
March 25th, 2009 at 3:39 pmTake it like a true liberal. Who cares of they die, or anyone in Darwhatever, Iraq, Kuwait, France, Europe, the Pacific Theater. Did Pulpot really kill anyone? Pulpot, Hussein, Abudabajanabadwhatever, whats the difference. Its over there, adn those people over there are not worthy of concern from the American people, especially the liberals. They are all subhuman status that deserve no human rights. Lets blame it on teh christians, teh republicans, or whatever makes it easy to not feel guilty about people that are less fortunate than us. At least as Americans we can tear down the government one step at a time and not fear a good old fashioned beheading. Freedom is a thing that has come to pass, now its the liberal way or you are an antiquity.
March 25th, 2009 at 5:17 pmBy their deeds shall you know them.
See Iran. This is extremist Islam in action, up close.
March 25th, 2009 at 5:51 pmThese are not the things that freedom loving US-Americans of either national party subscribe to, or?
Man some of you guys are friggin nuts. I personaly hate Bush, if he were drowning i’d throw him a cinder block. But to say the Republicans want to inforce Sharia Law over here isn’t just wrong, it’s stupid. This is a failing Iranian goverment trying to scare people into being quiet. They see the youth movement, it’s a rising storm they cannot beat. Iran will have another Revolution, a Secular Revolution.
We need to pump money into the various student movements.
March 25th, 2009 at 6:25 pmAchmed says:
“Silence!… I kill you!”
March 25th, 2009 at 6:51 pmThe Shah of Iran suppressed the the opposition to the point where he had no idea what they were doing due to suppression of the press & other forms of free speech.
Result: End of the Shah of Iran.
Marcos of Philippines supressed the opposition to the point where he had no idea what they were doing due to suppression of the press & other forms of free speech.
Result: End of the Marcos regime, former WW-2 hero.
If one wants to ensure they do not know what the opposition is doing, suppress free speech. That will end their regime.
Ken
March 25th, 2009 at 8:46 pmIf they are women bloggers do they get stoned first and then killed? Or just killed? In the Middle East, there is death for everything. They look for reasons to institute the death penalty. Surely a culture of death. Much like the Republicans and the Christian right waiting for the Rapture.
March 25th, 2009 at 9:14 pmExecuting offensive bloggers? I’m sure many people who post on this site would be happy to murder a bunch of conservative bloggers. Sounds like it’s right up think”progress”’s alley. The poisonus hatred here is truly remarkable.
March 25th, 2009 at 10:19 pmI believe in equal rights and freedom of all people !
March 25th, 2009 at 10:28 pmbut i draw the line on people who think they can sway the thoughts of others to think that sleeping with the same sex is a natural act of human behavior ! It is not ! To my thinking as a male , what is natural is sleeping with a female ! The thought of sleeping with another male sounds like a load of shit to me! thats point one ! point two is !Both Islam and christians pray to the same God or alla, as i have been told by my muslim friends But Islams interpretation of gods word! That is the “extremists view” is they have the right to jihad! 9/11, remember that, all the car bombings etc etc !They openly get on tv and take credit for the evil acts they do , also show off on tv the latest captives of innocent people and try to hold the world to ransom ! If they were Gods soldiers as they think they are , why do they hide behind evil masks when they display there spoils of evil acts ! Islam needs to cleanup its own evil !From what i have been told by friends is that Islam wants a holy war ? Saddam of Iraq wanted that, well he got it ! If you remember before iraq took kuwait , iraq and iran had a long war against each other , kuwait gave over 8 billion US dollars to support iraq to fight against iran! The leader of iran at the time offered the key to heaven to conscripted 14 year old soldiers to fight against iraq, he told these young boys if you die in battle you will go to heaven and get 75 vestial virgins to play with, they all died in battle ! got that story from a muslim friend who was there at the time ! But when the allies came to free kuwait iran supported iraq and allowed iraq fighter jets to take rufuge in iran ! Is it true that Bin laddin’s family has close ties with the bush family of america ? What i believe is islam is two faced ! Iran’s leaders are defiant dogs and have stated they plan to build a neclear power station defiant of world leaders who believe they are really after nuclear weaponary ! we will have a very big fear if iran achieves this ! I wish world peace , but i get the feeling islam does not want that ! I think i am more happier living in america, but we have defiant dogs in power to !Bail out of a bankrupt AIG i think was wrong , if AIG was to pay there contractors , then it should of been out of the profits of AIG! Not out of the bailout money givin by the gov from the taxes of the people ! What kind of capitalism do we live under when our gov bails out companies that fail in business using unethical decieving ways to cheat in business?
Psychological projection, dude. You’re sure the posters here would like to murder conservatives because if they didn’t it would be harder for you to justify your hatred of liberals. Try dealing with people as they actually are, not the boogymen you’ve constructed in your mind.
March 25th, 2009 at 11:04 pmAre you kidding me??? If the people of Iran can’t get there act together and oust the regime, then the deserve what’s coming.
I’m sooo over IRAN and their antics. Can’t they be wiped off the map already.
Death to Iran and their proxies!!!
March 25th, 2009 at 11:25 pmIslamic jihadist think they are doing pretty job to protect their values and barbaric culture from being exposed to the outter world. you know what, let’s support them once for all and let’s see what are they gonna do to themselves!
March 27th, 2009 at 12:42 amRadicals in Iran chant death to other countries and you here, doing the same!
March 27th, 2009 at 12:44 amI agree with the blog poster and thank them for including this. It is not always easy to defend human rights when you are blogging out of America; frequently, you are met with harsh criticism and the topic is moved away from the issue at hand and reframed to the standard “which country is worse” argument. It takes some courage to post about this, you will get some flak!
I agree with those that write that America is far from perfect, but I think if we wait for a perfect country to lead human rights, we will wait forever for a leader. If we have to be perfect before we speak out, none of us can ever speak out against the far-right’s wrong-doing, because as individuals, none of us are perfect either.
If the standard is that you must be perfect before you can say something about things that are wrong,we need to accept the fact that we will never be able to work on or address people and institutions, governments and groups that are engaged in bad things. With that standard, every single one of us might as well give up and go home.
I think there is plenty wrong in the US, but I would still prefer to be here, thanks to those on the left who have worked so hard in reform movements and human rights campaigns for the better part of their lives. Union workers, labor activists, womens and civil rights workers, activists for our human rights—you get the picture. Oh, it is still oppressive, very oppressive. However, it is more bearable, thanks to those on the left who worked in the people’s movements since the pre-civil war era.
Thanks for letting me ramble!
March 27th, 2009 at 11:58 amng