U.S. raps Iran for harassing religious minorities

[Omaha Steve]

http://reuters.excite.com/article/20060915/2006-09-15T190247Z_01_N15198593_RTRIDST_0_INTERNATIONAL-RIGHTS-RELIGION-USA-DC.html

U.S. raps Iran for harassing religious minorities
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Sep 15, 3:02 PM (ET)

By Arshad Mohammed

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States took Iran to task on Friday for its "harsh and oppressive treatment" of religious minorities as the two nations continued their standoff over Tehran's suspected nuclear arms program.

Iran, which says its nuclear program is aimed at power generation, is a frequent target of criticism from the United States, which has long branded Tehran as a "state sponsor of terrorism" and accused it of persistent human rights abuses.

In its annual "Report on International Religious Freedom" around the world, the State Department said it found a further deterioration in what it called "the extremely poor status of respect for religious freedom" in Iran.

The assessment cited reports of imprisonment, harassment, intimidation and discrimination based on religious beliefs in Iran, even among Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians -- the only legally recognized religious minorities.

FULL story at link above.

[VegasWolf]

1. Kind of like the Wiccans are treated here, huh Bush? nt

[MikeNearMcChord]

4. Did you know that there is a Jewish member

of the Iranian Parliament? Read about it here.
http://www.iranjewish.com/News_e/21-2.htm

[yellerpup]

2. I saw a young woman get a DWB today.

Not religious discrimination, but discrimination none the less right in the goold ole USA.

[ixion]

3. US Motto: Do as I say, not as I do

:eyes:

[bluestateguy]

5. Iran does deserve the criticism

They make life a living hell for anyone not Muslim (worse than Saddam's Iraq ever did BTW). Still, this might be one area where we in America have a little "moral authority" problem ourselves.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. You mean like how the federal marshals go after Mormon

polygamists?

[Tempest]

7. Try being a Muslim here in the states

You're automatically profiled and at airports passengers demand you're kicked off the plane.

And then you get a-holes like this guy:


A few weeks ago, I was on a business trip to Salt Lake City, Utah. When I came to the security check point in the airport on my return trip, I was astounded that the U.S. Transportation Security Agency (TSA) employee who was in charge of checking passenger tickets and picture IDs was an Arab woman in full Muslim headdress!

My first reaction was that this was just another case of political correctness run amok. Then I really became concerned. Given the intense paternalistic nature of Arab Muslim society and the lowly status of women in that society, an Arab Muslim terrorist would probably have a pretty easy time getting on a flight being "protected" by an Arab Muslim woman.

It seems nuts to me for our government to still be searching old women and young babies who are U. S. citizens, while simultaneously putting sympathetic, easily compromised Muslim women in charge of airport "security." However, this practice is consistent with my theory that the waters of the Potomac River are so polluted that everyone who drinks from it loses all brain function. Based on recent history, I have long thought that the water coolers in the Congress and the White House are connected directly to that river, and now it seems that those in the TSA are plumbed likewise!

We can only pray that God will save us from Arab terrorists and our own government.

-- WILBUR W. WELLS, Tehachapi