Is Protesting Against The Government A War Against God?

[Khandro]

"On Tuesday, the head of Tehran's Revolutionary Court reportedly warned that arrested protesters might potentially face the death penalty.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Mousa Ghazanfarabadi as saying: "Obviously one of their charges can be Moharebeh," which is waging war against God, a death penalty offence in Iran."

ITV News

[emmie]

thank heavens or whatever that we don't live in that hell hole, no such thing as democracy, no liberty to be who you are, or speak one's mind.

[youngmafbog]

Well it is in their mind so i suppose the answer is Yes.

[Jackdaw33]

Hell hole is right. Iran used to be a civilised, pro-western country under the Shah. Then the Muslim fanatics took over. They should never have allowed Khomeini to come back from exile.

[ToraToraTora]

all pretty standard stuff from the religion of peace, no doubt the Friends OJ will be along soon to explain their country their rules yada yada!

[Khandro]

The hapless Independent seems to think the answer lies with none other than Jeremy Corbyn!
I wonder if this is an early April fool's gag;

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/iranian-protests-international-leadership-jeremy-corbyn-statesman-donald-trump-boris-johnson-free-a8136881.html#commentsDiv

[andy-hughes]

I guess it depends on your perspective.

Not believing in God, I'd have to say no, but I understand of course that some believers take the notion of offence against God very seriously.

[Old_Geezer]

In primitive minds, any ruler does so under the will of their god, so I'd guess a protest at the incumbent ruler is a protest against their god.

[Khandro]

OG; But to protest could be equally be with the will of God, the protesters aren't protesting against God, but the way the regime is running their country.

[Khandro]

Such as these women,
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11655/women-freedom-iran

[ichkeria]

Iran under the shah was brutal repression without religion. Now it’s brutal repression with added religion.
Ymb’s answer seems sensible

[Old_Geezer]

No. God needs no protesters, he just smites away.

[New Judge]

"Iran under the shah was brutal repression without religion. Now it’s brutal repression with added religion."

Unfortunately, in many countries mainly to the east of here, "brutal repression" is the only language understood by their citizens. Democratic values and the rule of law have been tried. You only have to look at the so-called "Arab Spring" when the West believed that nations in the Middle East were going to embrace Western-style democracy overnight to see what happens when the threat of brutal repression is removed.

[ludwig]

The government consists of clerics, so they can use the excuse that attacking them is the same as attacking god.

It's a way of bringing the death penalty into play to silence any political opponents permanently, nothing to do with taking offence against god seriously.

[ichkeria]

Oh right NJ: I guess you agree with the regime then :-)

[Khandro]

Is this what you mean? The Iranian women's basket-ball team pre 1979

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/86/2c/90/862c909e805a0d3f2cd2727cdd468b7c.jpg

and today

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/01/08/2CF4B31000000578-0-image-a-15_1443685776610.jpg

[Peter Pedant]

protesting can slide into
plotting against the govt -

we had our very own Treason Felony Act 1848
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason_Felony_Act_1848

s4 now repealed - "offences of speaking"

so treason felony - plotting against God or flonking the lu-lu
does it matter what it is called
just about every legal system has it

and it was sort of OK in England and bad news if you were arrested for it in Stalinist Russia [ which many millions were ]

[Peter Pedant]

// when the threat of brutal repression is removed.//

erm you mean in Syria in the places where ISIS liberated areas from the brutal repression of Assad ?

erm yeah OK - well this is AB

or in Sudan ( both ) when the brutal repressive jack boot of the English ( OK anglo Egyptian then ) occupation was removed. yeah

[ichkeria]

It’s a common factor in these demos that the object of the people’s wrath blames ‘outside influences’
I see it’s happening again here.

[ichkeria]

Tho in the case of Iran, while almost certainly a load of **** it is maybe not surprising that there might be an element of paranoia given the notorious western meddling in Iranian elections historically.
That’s about as far as I’d go in their defence

[New Judge]

"Oh right NJ: I guess you agree with the regime then :-)"

I neither agree nor disagree with it, Ikky. It has nothing to do with me how other countries run their affairs. I neither know about nor understand the psyche of people who rabidly follow an irrational religion and I know even less of their government's way of dealing with them. What I do know is that every time western governments try to intervene in their affairs it ends, almost exclusively, in utter disaster. We seem to think that if we do the same thing enough times eventually we shall see a different result.

I have absolutely no interest in the lives and times of people in Middle Eastern countries. I don't care what happens to them, I don't care what their government does and I imagine the feeling is mutual. If only a few politicians would adopt a similar view I think the world (or at least our part of it) would be a better place.