Iraqi Civil war now official and under way

[SpontaneousOrder]

So you need to balance the right to be openly gay and the right to condemn gay people?

There's no balancing required - the two aren't mutually exclusive.

[Gibbon]

I was walking out of a train station and I saw a large group of naked men and women on cycles going past me. To me the idea that children and by standers are allowed to witness such a thing is more repressive than Iran requiring women to wear a small piece of cloth on their head.

Do you see the fault in your argument?

One is optional and there is no punishment for not viewing or taking part, you may not condone or even like such behaviour, but it causes you no harm; it is the very epitome of a free and tolerant (which actually means 'to endure') society.

The other is repressive because it is required and punishment can be meted out to those that don't obey.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Yes I see that now. Saudi Arabia is not a great place to be Jewish, but then Germany is not a great place to be an anti-Semitic - like Iran and the UK with gays. I just need to get my perspective right. I'll give it a go and see if I can be a bit more like you.

America only accepted black people 50 or 60 years ago! At least in Iran you have a large Jewish population who can practice their faith freely. Homosexuality had been socially unacceptable everywhere until the last century. The world changes but you can't expect everybody to embrace a new idea just because a western country has.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Do you see the fault in your argument?

One is optional and there is no punishment for not viewing or taking part, you may not condone or even like such behaviour, but it causes you no harm; it is the very epitome of a free and tolerant (which actually means 'to endure') society.

The other is repressive because it is required and punishment can be meted out to those that don't obey.

I am afraid that I don't see allowing public indecency as being progressive.....
Enforcing some kind of modesty makes more sense to me especially in this age of Porn, sexual deviation, rape, child molestation etc. Perhaps Iran have gone a bit too far in trying to enforce a particular form of modesty but I am more of the conservative type in believing we should be able to walk our streets without being forced to see nudity and indecency. And since we are in a democracy I have every right to feel and say that to be the case.

[original PM]

Do you see the fault in your argument?

One is optional and there is no punishment for not viewing or taking part, you may not condone or even like such behaviour, but it causes you no harm; it is the very epitome of a free and tolerant (which actually means 'to endure') society.

The other is repressive because it is required and punishment can be meted out to those that don't obey.

hmmm not sure about that - someone posted a pic on facebook and you could see some old guys junk

nearly made me chuck my ring.

[speling bee]

America only accepted black people 50 or 60 years ago! At least in Iran you have a large Jewish population who can practice their faith freely. Homosexuality had been socially unacceptable everywhere until the last century. The world changes but you can't expect everybody to embrace a new idea just because a western country has.

I am not criticising Iran for intolerance towards Jews (although it's not all rosy).

History of the Jews in Iran - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Estimates of the Jewish population in Iran until the census 2011 vary. In mid- and late 1980s, it was estimated at 20,000–30,000, rising to around 35,000 in mid-1990s.[35] The current Jewish population of Iran is 8,756 according to the most recent Iranian census.[36]
The condition of Jews in Iran is difficult to assess objectively. The Islamic Republic uses factions within the Iranian Jewish community to win public relations points with the Western world, but privately many Jews complain to foreign reporters of discrimination. Foreign reporters are asked by the Iranian Jewish community to self-censor their own reports for fear of repercussions on the community.[37] The Islamic government appoints the officials who run Jewish schools, most of these being Muslims and requires that those schools must open on Saturdays, the Jewish Sabbath. Criticism of this policy was the downfall of the last remaining newspaper of the Iranian Jewish community which was closed in 1991 after it criticized government control of Jewish schools. Instead of expelling Jews en masse like in Libya, Iraq, Egypt, and Yemen, the Iranians have adopted a policy of keeping Jews in Iran.[38]

However, I am describing Iran as severely repressive and highlighting its treatment of gay people. You give reasons for why you think this might be, but do you think Iran is severely repressive towards gay people?

[Gibbon]

Homosexuality had been socially unacceptable everywhere in the middle east and europe since the advent of Christianity

FTFY

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I am not criticising Iran for intolerance towards Jews (although it's not all rosy).

History of the Jews in Iran - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



However, I am describing Iran as severely repressive and highlighting its treatment of gay people. You give reasons for why you think this might be, but do you think Iran is severely repressive towards gay people?

I don't think Iran accepts homosexuality in the same way they do here, however I do believe that the media has an agenda in portraying Iran as being "severely repressive" and while there may be some truth in it, I don't believe it is anywhere near as bad as the media makes out.

[speling bee]

I am afraid that I don't see allowing public indecency as being progressive.....
Enforcing some kind of modesty makes more sense to me especially in this age of Porn, sexual deviation, rape, child molestation etc. Perhaps Iran have gone a bit too far in trying to enforce a particular form of modesty but I am more of the conservative type in believing we should be able to walk our streets without being forced to see nudity and indecency. And since we are in a democracy I have every right to feel and say that to be the case.

You are just plain nuts, aren't you?

[speling bee]

I don't think Iran accepts homosexuality in the same way they do here, however I do believe that the media has an agenda in portraying Iran as being "severely repressive" and while there may be some truth in it, I don't believe it is anywhere near as bad as the media makes out.

I didn't really sense a definitive answer. We can agree that Iran doesn't accept homosexuality in the same way we do here, but:

Do you think Iran is severely repressive towards gay people?