Islamic rules in Tehran

[FYI]

Police toughens Islamic rules in Tehran

Tehran, Aug 17, IRNA -- Police have launched a serious war against what they call "flagrant manifestations of corruption" in the megalopolis as "moral decadence" and "social corruption" are alleged to be on the rise.
In a statement published Friday, the Tehran police said, "Regarding the spread of decadent Western culture in the society, police have seriously risen up against the propagators of corruption."
Police have threatened to arrest shop owners selling such pets as dogs and monkeys, clothes or other goods carrying pictures of Western movie and rock stars.
Coffee shops and restaurants were ordered not to serve women flouting the Islamic dress code (Hijab) or wearing heavy make-up.
Shopping malls were barred from playing "illegal" music or songs and shops were told not to display women's underwear or undressed mannequins in their windows.
"Playing any song or music in the shopping centers or other public places so that can be heard from outside and also playing any illegal songs in places of business are forbidden," the statement said.
The tough measures come after a spate of public hangings and floggings throughout the country endorsed by the Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi.

Shahroudi on Thursday called for an all-out fight against social vices which, he said, have been plaguing the society. The conservative cleric defended the judiciary's performance in dealing with social vices--above all the flogging of the offenders in public. "The people have thanked the police and judiciary for carrying
out punishments in public in the past months," he said.

Ayatollah Shahroudi's statements come following recent public flogging of offenders, mostly convicted on charges of drunkenness or harassment of women, which have triggered mixed reactions among Iranians.
Tehran security officials, closely allied to reformist President Mohammad Khatami, have vehemently voiced their opposition to the rising tide of public floggings carried out on young people convicted of social vices over the past month, saying they were carried out without prior consultations with the interior ministry.
"These floggings, instead of making the victims repentant, increase public sympathy for them aside from being contrary to the Islamic objective of imposing lashes," Mohammad-Javad Haq-Shenas, deputy interior minister for political affairs, told IRNA.
"The interior minister (Abdolvahed Mousavi-Lari) is sharply opposed to the floggings," he said, adding "Tehran provincial officials have ruled that public floggings are to be carried out only after they have the go-ahead of political officials."
Public flogging, used in ancient societies to punish social or moral derelictions, was rarely imposed in the country even before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Certain officials have, however, justified their imposition in particular cases to set "effectively deter" their
future commission.
On Monday, Mohsen Mussavi-Tabrizi, a cleric and member of the Experts Assembly, which appoints or dismiss the supreme leader, vehemently criticized public floggings.
"Punishments in public are not sanctioned," Tabrizi said, adding the application of such verdicts in streets and public places is an incorrect interpretation of the Koran.
However, some conservative theologians such as Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Messbah Yazdi have defended public flogging as a form of Islamic punishment, saying they are sanctioned under the unalterable, divine laws of the the Holy Koran and cannot be waived or modified to fit particular situations or modifications or conventions of some modern societies.

[progressive]

Personally, I do not see much difference between the Taliban and the Islam of the Ayatollahs.

The only thing that makes for a "positive" factor on side of the Iraninan Shiism is the high literacy rate for Iraninans and Iranian women in particular.

With the highy educated women - thanks mostly to the Shah of Iran's liberal era and combined with the fact that they - the Iranian women vote as a block, has served to ensure certain amounts of decency for Iranian women and, Iranian society as a whole.

[Cool_Indian]

Depressing news. I was under the impression that Iran was moving forward to a new age of liberalism and freedom. I was wrong, obviously.

[muhammad]

Originally posted by Cool_Indian
Depressing news. I was under the impression that Iran was moving forward to a new age of liberalism and freedom. I was wrong, obviously.

Alhamdulillah! Not everyone believes in freedom for CRIMINALS!

[Cool_Indian]

Well it's up to the people of Iran to judge if people who talk about of freedom of speech and liberty are criminals or heroes, meanwhile I guess the hardcore minority elements will rule and curb every attempt of the people to breathe in the open air. Very depressing.

[indian_2001_2]

FYI, why are u giving thumbs up for such news degrading women and barbaric punishments like flogging in public for wearing make-up!

[muhammad]

Originally posted by Cool_Indian
Well it's up to the people of Iran to judge if people who talk about of freedom of speech and liberty are criminals or heroes, meanwhile I guess the hardcore minority elements will rule and curb every attempt of the people to breathe in the open air. Very depressing.

That isn't true, the majority of people in Iran are "educated" Muslims and believe in the law when it is implemented correctly. Of course, like in any country there are always selfish people who won't agree (such as those who want to do crime).

If all you can do is "guess" then don't bother, it's just a waste of your time and mine.