Iran passes law to dictate dress code -- Jews and Christians required to wear colored badges...

Iranian expatriates living in Canada yesterday confirmed reports that the Iranian parliament, called the Islamic Majlis, passed a law this week setting a dress code for all Iranians, requiring them to wear almost identical "standard Islamic garments."

The law, which must still be approved by Iran's "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenehi before being put into effect, also establishes special insignia to be worn by non-Muslims.

Iran's roughly 25,000 Jews would have to sew a yellow strip of cloth on the front of their clothes, while Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would be forced to wear blue cloth.

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=11fbf4a8-282a-4d18-954f-546709b1240f&p=2

Wow!  Sounds reminicent of the Holocost.  By requiring Jews and Christians to identify their religion of choice Muslims can easily avoid all contact with persons of differing relgious beliefs.  In addition, Mr. Ahmadinejad has repeatedly described the Holocaust as a myth and earlier this year announced Iran would host a conference to re-examine the history of the Nazis' "Final Solution."  Well, then...

It makes me completely rethink all of the idealistic reasons that I disliked the thought of threatening another country with sanctions or force for developing nuclear power.  I originally felt as though the US had no business telling other countries what they can and cannot do in order to provide power to their citizens.  But after reading this article, I can only conclude that the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- who the article claims is the person behind the revitilization of this bill into law -- cannot be trusted, and I do hate to conclude such a assumption. 

And yet, Mr. Ahmadinejad seems to contradict himself.  And article dated May 2, 2006 claimed that the Iranians were cracking down on women's dress -- With Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's ascension to Iran's presidency, there has been a marked change in the country's stance on a number of issues. One such issue concerns a new domestic crackdown on women who do not follow the strict Islamic dress code. Teams of patrols are seen on the streets of Tehran, and in some other large cities, busting young girls — in some cases boys — and taking them into detention. Offenders are sometimes even struck with police batons. 

The article goes on to imply that maybe it isn't Mr. Ahmadinejad behind this renewed enforecement.

"We have a wise population of women in the Islamic Republic who are familiar with the values," said Ahmadinejad. "There is no need to put any kind of pressure on them."

Predictably, the president came under heavy fire for these words. However, he revealed even more of his seldom-seen softer side by ordering an end to a decades-old ban on women entering stadiums for major sporting events, including football matches. This order, along with his comment on women's clothing apparently came as quite a shock to the religious right-wingers eager to maintain the male-female segregation ushered in by Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

http://www.worldpress.org/Mideast/2334.cfm

It is definately hard to trust a man in power who contradicts himself in this manner.  At this point, it is hard to deny that while the letter he sent Bush was logical and touched on several points that I have supported, maybe Bush is right to not respond.  It seems like Mr. Ahmadinejad is playing games.