Moharebeh

Iranians being hung for the crime of being gay.

News from the friendly folks in Teheran hasn't been too good lately. They hung two opposition figures last week for "monarchism and counterrevolutionary activities." Today word comes that 18 more people are charged with a multitude of similar charges, including rioting and conspiring against the state.

Two of those being brought up are charged with Moharebeh, or defying god, a charge that could carry the death penalty, the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported. The other individuals include an alleged communist, a student leader and a Ba'hai.

The hard line government has been quashing opposition rallies and has tried more than 100 political activists in a mass trial that started in August, sentencing 11 people to death and more than 80 people to prison terms ranging from six months to 15 years.  The authorities are apparently trying to stifle a planned February protest.

Say what you want about America, for all of its warts, we aren't quite up to trying people for defying god yet. Another great illustration of why a country should always separate the church side from the state side. I am sure that many here would like to but we are not quite there for defying god yet, and a good thing for me, I think.

As for the people of Iran, I don't know what to say. I have met many wonderful Persians and they deserve better. No matter what their religion. Revolutions and overthrows don't work unless they go all the way and the way it sits now, the opposition are sitting ducks waiting to be picked off by the security apparatus one by one. The ayatollahs are not going to step down because of poor public opinion polls. They are going to crush any resistance.

It is really frustrating on a human level. As is the situation in much of the world, Africa, the middle east, Myanmar, North Korea, People's China, the list goes on and on...

Bahai house of Bab, most sacred site of the Bahai faith, destroyed by Iranian authorities.