Iran to make Jews, Christians wear BADGES

From the National Post:

Human rights groups are raising alarms over a new law passed by the Iranian parliament that would require the country's Jews and Christians to wear coloured badges to identify them and other religious minorities as non-Muslims.

"This is reminiscent of the Holocaust," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, the dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. "Iran is moving closer and closer to the ideology of the Nazis."

Iranian expatriates living in Canada yesterday confirmed reports that the Iranian parliament, called the Islamic Majlis, passed a law this week setting a dress code for all Iranians, requiring them to wear almost identical "standard Islamic garments."

The law, which must still be approved by Iran's "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenehi before being put into effect, also establishes special insignia to be worn by non-Muslims.

Iran's roughly 25,000 Jews would have to sew a yellow strip of cloth on the front of their clothes, while Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would be forced to wear blue cloth.

"There's no reason to believe they won't pass this," said Rabbi Hier. "It will certainly pass unless there's some sort of international outcry over this." [More...]

Oh, there will be.

Update: Liam in Amy Welborn's comments offers a short explanation for why these three colors might be chosen (this question is, of course, tangential to the much more serious issues involved with "badging" human beings):

"The color yellow for Jews comes actually from medieval Christian practice. [More from Wikipedia]

The color red for Christians comes from the fact that the red cross is the traditional emblem of our faith, used by Crusaders. It is also the opposite color of the green that traditionally is associated with Islam, but Islam also has uses for red.

As for the color blue, I imagine it has something to do with vestments of Persian shahs and Zoroastrian priests and/or holy men."