PM blasts Iran ‘plan’ to label Jews

Toronto Sun: Prime Minister Stephen Harper yesterday blasted Iran’s “absolutely abhorrent” plan to make Jews and Christians wear coloured labels, as Iranian politicians denied the anti-Semitic law was even in the works.
Toronto Sun

By KATHLEEN HARRIS, OTTAWA BUREAU

MEECH LAKE, Que. — Prime Minister Stephen Harper yesterday blasted Iran’s “absolutely abhorrent” plan to make Jews and Christians wear coloured labels, as Iranian politicians denied the anti-Semitic law was even in the works.

Harper said he hadn’t confirmed if a newspaper report about the law was true, but suggested past actions by the hardline Islamic government didn’t give him much cause for doubt.

“Unfortunately, we have seen enough already from the Iranian regime to suggest that it is very capable of this kind of action,” Harper said.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has described the Holocaust as a myth and called for the destruction of the state of Israel — moves denounced by Harper at a recent Holocaust memorial service on Parliament Hill.

But Iranian legislators called a report that they would require religious markings false and said the bill seeks to make women dress more traditionally.

“Such a plan has never been proposed or discussed in parliament,” politician Morris Motamed, one of about 25,000 Jews who live in Iran, told the Associated Press.

Another Iranian legislator said the National Post report distorted a bill that he presented to parliament.

“It’s a sheer lie,” Emad Afroogh told AP.

The Post reported that Iran would require Jews to wear yellow labels on their clothing and Christians to wear red.