The The Canadian Press agency reports that Iranian legislators are denying the allegations that a new bill would require Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians in Iran to wear special insignia:
Iranian politicians — including [Morris Motamed,] a Jewish legislator in Tehran — were infuriated by the Post report, which they called false.
“Such a plan has never been proposed or discussed in parliament,” Motamed told the Associated Press.
“Such news, which appeared abroad, is an insult to religious minorities here.”
Another Iranian legislator said the newspaper has distorted a bill that he presented to parliament, which calls for more conservative clothing for Muslims.
“It’s a sheer lie. The rumours about this are worthless,” Emad Afroogh said.
Afroogh’s bill seeks to make women dress more traditionally and avoid Western fashions. Minority religious labels have nothing to do with it, he said.
“The bill is not related to minorities. It is only about clothing,” he said….
Non-Muslims in Afghanistan were required to wear arm bands under the former Taliban regime.
The practice is a throwback to centuries-old rules imposed on non-Muslims living in Islamic states. Under Dhimmi law, non-Muslims were guaranteed security in exchange for paying a tax and wearing special labels on their clothing.
Meantime, the National Post — the original source of the story — is reporting on the claims that the story was mistaken, and also writing:
Ali Reza Nourizadeh, an Iranian commentator on political affairs in London, suggested that the requirements for badges or insignia for religious minorities was part of a “secondary motion” introduced in parliament, addressing the changes specific to the attire of people of various religious backgrounds.
Mr. Nourizadeh said that motion was very minor and was far from being passed into law.
That account could not be confirmed.
Meir Javdanfar, an Israeli expert on Iran and the Middle East who was born and raised in Tehran, said yesterday that he was unable to find any evidence that such a law had been passed.
“None of my sources in Iran have heard of this,” he said. “I don’t know where this comes from.” …
Thanks to reader Victor Steinbok for the pointer.