Iran Now to Kill Bloggers - Follow That, China!
By Curt on Jul 4, 2008 in Anti-Free Speech Laws, Iran, Threatened bloggers, Imprisoned bloggers
In its never-ending pursuit of complete elimination of dissent, Iran is introducing a law to murder bloggers. Cyrus Farivar, preparing an story of The World radio program, sent us a note with a link to this story on iAfrica.
Iran’s parliament is set to debate a draft bill which could see the death penalty used for those deemed to promote corruption, prostitution and apostasy on the internet…
One of the things I find the most amusing about Iran is its tortured relationship with language, one which makes U.S. President Bush’s “Department of Naming Things the Opposite of What They Are”* seem almost reasonable. Here’s how the official news agency, ISNA, describes the “law.” It will “toughen punishment for harming mental security in society.” (Tzara was a journalist.)
Considering the nature of “debate” (not to mention “parliament”) in Iran, it seems unlikely that it will be “voted down.” So, look for the first publicly murdered bloggers to be coming to a news source near you in about a year.
Cyrus’s story will air today (July 4) on The World.
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*This doesn’t really exist.
Or does it?**
**No, it doesn’t.
Ngeny | Jul 4, 2008 | Reply
Free speech seems to be coming under threat day after day.
What worries me though is the use of intellectuals, who should know better to think up and enforce ways of curbing, free speech which blogging ultimately is.
I also wonder what the he*l mental security is and who determines what its state is????