WarSclerotic

Iranian Basij Militia to Infiltrate Civilian Life to Stamp Out Dissent, Clarion Project, May 9, 2016

(With the Iran Scam firmly in place, The Islamic Republic again demonstrates how “moderate” it has become. — DM)

Members of the Basij voluntary militia (Photo: © Reuters)

Iran plans to use its volunteer Basij militia as an urban force to stamp out dissent in every aspect of life in the Islamic republic.

As reported in the Washington Times, the force will be dispersed from “villages to schools to sports clubs to factories” to push the ayatollah’s agenda.

The Times quotes a report by the U.S. Army’s foreign military studies office at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

“While the law enforcement forces might conduct more regular police work, Basij operations tend to focus more on countering ideological enemies and encouraging fealty to the Islamic Revolution through after-school programming and university organizations, and by policing morality,” writes analyst Michael Rubin.

The fact that 99 percent of reformist candidates for the recent parliamentary elections were disqualified “indicates a desire by the clerical hierarchy within Iran to consolidate more hard-line control,” he said, adding, “Should it be implemented, it suggests that the regime may be preparing for a new cultural revolution to weed out elements of reformism or moderation.”

At the same time, 7,000 male and female plain-clothed officers have begun patrolling the streets of Iran to insure, among other things, that women dress in a proper fashion.

The expanded “morality police” comes after pressure from conservative parliamentarians to further clamp down on women’s rights.

World Affairs Journal explains the new officers “blend in and mix with people as much as possible, then report the “criminals” they find, such as women who wear fingernail polish or have too much hair showing under their headscarves, to uniformed authorities.”

This entry was posted on May 9, 2016 at 5:55 PM and is filed under Iran - human rights, Iran's morality police. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.

Tags: Iran - human rights, Iran's morality police