Headline of the Day

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Bad news for Iranian smut peddlers:

Iran moves to execute porn stars

Here's the story:

With a 148-5 vote in favor and four abstentions, lawmakers present at the Wednesday session of the 290-seat parliament approved that "producers of pornographic works and main elements in their production are considered corrupter of the world and could be sentenced to punishment as corrupter of the world."

The term, "corrupter of the world" is taken from the Quran, the Muslims' holy book, and ranks among the highest on the scale of an individual's criminal offenses. Under Iran's Islamic Penal Code, it carries a death penalty.

The "main elements" referred to in the draft include producers, directors, cameramen and actors involved in making a pornographic video.

In related news, the White House announced yesterday that it will likely not be sending Ron Jeremy to Tehran as an "emissary of peace and reconcilation," as had been reported earlier in the week by Adult Video News.

**********

Seriously, though. This isn't good, and not just because I oppose the death penalty. It is a sign that liberalism has a long way to go in Iran -- and not because liberalism is pornography, as some on the right might suggest, but because liberalism -- or the political philosophy of individual liberty, America's founding political philosophy -- demands toleration even of that which is, however defined, "dirty" (as long as there is consent, of course). You don't have to like pornography, you just have to tolerate it. You know: I don't like what you say, but I defend your right to say it.

In Iran, however, if they don't like what you say, or if what you do, or represent, is "pornographic" (which remains open to interpretation, one imagines -- it could be defined rather broadly, given the oppressive sexual climate in that country -- yes, this is about sex more than speech, strictly speaking), they'll kill you. Speech, you see, isn't free; it's deadly. Especially when it's sexual.

And I'm sure that pleases the Tyrant Ahmadinejad to no end.