Note here again the absolute intolerance of dissent, the inability to deal with opposing points of view in any way other than to silence them forcibly. That same authoritarian impulse is present in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s “Islamophobia” campaign, which seeks not to refute or debate the so-called “Islamophobes,” or to demonstrate that what they say is false in any way, but simply to shut them down. The campaign to smear them as “hatemongers” and “bigots” goes hand-in-hand with this — it doesn’t prove them wrong, it just makes timid and ignorant people think they better run the other way rather than listen to them.
“Iran arrests author of controversial article on Shiite Islam,” from Agence France Presse, November 11 (thanks to Benedict):
TEHRAN: Iran on Monday arrested Ali Asghar Gharavi, the author of a controversial article seen by critics as questioning the beliefs of Shiite Islam, a prosecutor general said.
“In regards with the banned newspaper (Bahar), the author of that article was arrested yesterday,” prosecutor Mohseni Ejeie was quoted as saying by Fars news agency.
In late October, the pro-reformist Bahar daily published an opinion piece penned by Gharavi, which drew heavy criticism from the authorities.
Bahar had issued an apology, saying publishing the article was an “unintentional mistake” and it had temporarily suspended activities to “ease the tensions”.
But the Iran’s press watchdog banned the reformist daily and Saeed Pourazizi, the head of newspaper, was arrested on November 2 for publishing the article. He was later freed on bail.
Judiciary chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani has warned his department will “act with determination against those who falsify the history and try to undermine the fundamentals of the regime.”
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, a cleric and a reputed moderate, pledged to work for greater social freedoms during his election campaign….
Yes, and this kind of incident shows how much his “moderate” reputation is a charade.