Excerpts: Over half of Saudi weddings cancelled due market crash, Jordanian
editorial on Iranian dress code 23 May 2006
+++ARAB NEWS (Saudi) 23 May '06:"Marriage Cancellations May Reach 50%, Stock
Market Crash Blamed", Arab News
QUOTES FROM TEX.T:
"The stock msrket crash ... affected more than 3.5 million middle income
investors"
"Every summer tens of thousands of Saudis get married but this year the
number is expected to drop more than 50 percent"
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EXCERPTS:
MAKKAH, 23 May 2006 - The stock market crash, which affected more than 3.5
million middle income investors, has delayed the marriages of many people
this summer, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported.
Every summer, tens of thousand of Saudis get married but this year, the
number is expected to drop by more than 50 percent.. . .
+++JORDAN TIMES 23 May '06:"Editorial:The colour of gloom"
QUOTES FROM TEXT:
"aims to impose a 'standard Islamic garment' on all Iranians"
"non-Muslims in Iran to wear insignias ...Christians ... a red badge ...
Jews ... a yellow sign"
"at the rate things are going, Iranians would have not only their mind and
thoughts controled but also what they wear and eat regulated"
[IMRA: There were reports that the original report indicating a requirement
that Jews and Christians wear badges was not accurate]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FULL TEXT:Iran has laws in the pipeline that promise to make life in the country evenmore difficult. One such piece of legislation aims to impose a "standardIslamic garment" on all Iranians, meaning that Iranians will no longer beable to dress as they wish.There is an even more difficult to understand addition to the restriction:The colours of the projected "uniforms" are limited to sombre hues. As iflife were so rosy for them!This new regimentation in the lifestyle of Iranians is supposed to applyeven to children as young as four! It doesn't make for a verymind-stimulating environment, nor for desire to stand out even if, at thisage, only through the choice of colour for the garb.The other piece of legislation aims to make it compulsory for non-Muslims inIran to wear insignias on their clothing that identify them as Christians,Jews or followers of whatever other religion.
The Christian would wear a redbadge, while the Jews would have to wear a yellow sign.Obviously these projected laws are causing a worldwide uproar even beforethey pass through the legislative process and become enacted. They wouldundoubtedly take Iran back to the dark ages and do nothing to help the imageof Islam, nowadays under assault.Islam is an enlightened religion that brought progress to Muslimseverywhere. Why would a regime that claims to strictly follow the tenets ofthis religion want to portray it in such a negative light?At the rate things are going, Iranians will have not only their mind andthoughts controlled, but also what they wear and eat regulated.It is an affront to the pious that all these regressive and repressive stepsare purportedly being taken in the name of Islam.The Iranian regime must be aware that it is bound by international norms torespect the rights of the people in the country. And it is simplyunacceptable to discriminate between people on the basis of
religion.Marking Christians and Jews by having them wear badges is a clear act ofdiscrimination bearing the ominous hue of the dark days of World War II.Neither Islam nor international standards tolerate this kind of behaviour.The Iranian government under Prime Minister Mahmoud Ahmadinejad needs toreflect more before it puts into effect these draconian laws, especiallywhen they run counter to Islam.Sue Lerner - Associate - IMRA
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