Iranian Poets To Be Whipped And Jailed For Shaking Hands With Members Of Opposite Sex

[still_one]

Source: Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two Iranian poets jailed for their work and sentenced to 99 lashes apiece for shaking hands with members of the opposite sex are the latest targets in a crackdown that analysts say pits hard-liners against those offering new glimpses of life in the Islamic Republic.

The sentences follow a pattern of arrests and convictions targeting activists, journalists and artists that has served as a grim backdrop to President Hassan Rouhani's efforts to soften the country's image and improve relations with the West, including through the landmark nuclear agreement reached last summer.

Hard-liners in the police, judiciary and military view any rapprochement with the West as a threat to the Islamic Republic and a sign of moral decay. Rights groups and analysts say those targeted in the ongoing crackdown on expression in Iran also serve as pawns in the hard-liners' struggle with moderates ahead of February's parliamentary elections.

"I think people thought with the nuclear deal, there would be sort of a bit of a thaw as well or a bit of an opening up," said Karin Deutsch Karlekar, the director of Free Expression Programs at PEN America, an organization promoting literature and freedom of speech. "I think the judiciary is sort of pushing back and trying to make clear that there isn't going to be that opening people were hoping for."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/iranian-poets-to-be-whipped-for-shaking-hands-with-members-of-opposite-sex_5630c74de4b00aa54a4bf004


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/iranian-poets-to-be-whipped-for-shaking-hands-with-members-of-opposite-sex_5630c74de4b00aa54a4bf004

[7962]

1. These are the people we think are going to be honest.

We'll see in short order how true it is or isnt.

[geek tragedy]

3. No. If we thought they'd be honest, there wouldnt be any need for inspections

and monitoring.

[randys1]

7. You dont understand, Obama might get some credit for this, WE CANT HAVE THAT

[randys1]

6. Obama doesnt care if they are honest, right? He secretely wants Iran to fucking NUKE

Israel and parts of the US

The thousands of EXPERTS who helped him and the many countries that signed on ALL Want that

they must, right?

I mean they must all be stupid when it comes to trusting Iran, right

\

[still_one]

10. LOL, yup that must be it, because we all know that if it wasn't because of the Iranian deal, which

Last edited Wed Oct 28, 2015, 04:55 PM - Edit history (1)

require international inspections for the next decade plus, Iran would have immediately stopped their military nuKlear development immediately. Darn that agreement. (oh by the way, I am being sarcastic)

This is the same nonsense that those against the deal argued about. It doesn't address all the middle east problems, therefore the deal is no good. Except the flaw with that logic is that the Iran deal was to address ONE SPECIFIC ISSUE, and that is stopping nuclear weapon proliferation by Iran, and that by itself is not a bad thing.

This ALL OR NOTHING PRINCIPLE, that so many extreme right wingers seem to express, has historically been shown to be a failure. It got us into Viet Nam to stop the "spread of communism", was a large part for our disastrous policy in South America in the 60's, 70's and 80's, prompted our invasion of Iraq, based on a lie, and quite a few other misadventures throughout history.

You have to start someone where. Gunboat diplomacy usually doesn't work

[randys1]

11. All or nothing plus this fact: Teaparty has visceral, actual physical reaction, negatively

when they just hear Obama's name.

They hate him as if he was the devil times 300.

That he was reelected, well that simply sent them permanently into total insanity and it will continue if Hillary is the nominee

[still_one]

12. you are correct

[7962]

16. hey, I hope you're right. Like I said, we'll see.

Its as simple as that.
They've never kept any other deal they signed, so I'm just going on history. Of course they may be different this time. We'll see in a couple years.

[still_one]

20. And what was the alternative?

[7962]

22. Keep sanctions in place until it can be verified that the nuke program has been stopped.

And allow inspections at all facilities where nuclear work had been going on. with NO notice. They've been lying the whole time; saying they had no nuclear weapons program. Saying it was for electricity. But refusing Russia's offer to supply nuclear fuel and remove nuclear waste. I see no reason to immediately reward them before they actually DO anything. Certainly if they really stop their program, by all means lift the sanctions. But we'll soon see what the first things they buy will be now that sanctions arent a problem. I'm betting its not going to be airliner parts.

[StevieM]

17. You accidentally misplaced a homonym. In your title line you wrote "no" instead of "know."

Last edited Wed Oct 28, 2015, 05:06 PM - Edit history (1)

Just giving you a heads up in case you wanted to edit your post for clarity sake.

[still_one]

19. Thanks.

[7962]

15. Boy, you certainly arent any good at reading minds, thats for sure.

[MowCowWhoHow III]

2. More magic boss based lunacy

[TheMastersNemesis]

4. The Younger Generation Needs To Get Rid OF These Mullahs Somehow.

These radical Moslems do not deserve to remain on this planet.

[MynameisBlarney]

8. Religion poisons everything.

This is such primitive bullshit.

[SoapBox]

9. Thank you!

You got to it before me.

Agree 100%.

[MynameisBlarney]

13. You are most welcome!

[patsimp]

14. The religion of peace really keeps on giving

[romanic]

18. Islamic theocracy strikes again!

[closeupready]

21. The silver lining is no American Apparel billboards there.

So there's that.

[7962]

23. Or personal injury lawyers!

[closeupready]

24. Of course!! See? A place RICH with hidden upsides!

[daleo]

25. This is as bad as our ally Saudi Arabia

We should be outraged, sort of.