The Religious Policeman is a Saudi blog which has discovered common ground between the Iranian government and President Bush's administration.

The new Iranian President has now declared war on that scourge of modern times, liberalism.


Ahmadinejad pledges war on Liberalism

The neocons in the US have problems with "liberals". So do the Islamic fundamentalists in Iran. Maybe they should get together.


Signaling his election would bring a clear break from the previous reformist administration of Mohammad Khatami, Ahmadinejad pledged to fight off liberalism that he argued threatened Islamic values....

.....We should expand a culture that promotes virtue and prohibits vice

Iran is actually ahead of the United States on conservative issues such as abortion, although there was a tiny bit of recent backsliding.

Iran's Parliament Approves Abortion Bill

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI

.c The Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's conservative-dominated parliament approved a draft bill Tuesday that would allow abortion in the first four months of pregnancy if the woman's life is in danger or the fetus is malformed.

Before the vote, top lawmakers secured the support of Islamic religious leaders in Qom, an important step aimed at deflating some of the controversy the measure could stir in this highly religious society.

"Under the bill, abortion is allowed for two purposes: one to protect the life of mother and the other if the fetus is malformed," lawmaker Ali Baghbanian said in parliament. The session was broadcast live on Tehran radio.

The bill does not allow abortions for unwanted pregnancies.

"Islamic Sharia (law) has not allowed other cases of abortion, such as for social and economic reasons," Baghbanian said.

He said illegal abortions are performed in Iran, endangering the lives of women, but there were no official statistics available.

A further vote is required on the draft bill, but that is usually a formality and cannot reverse the general approval. The bill also requires approval by the Guardian Council, which vets all legislation.

Under the legislation, a committee including forensic doctors and an obstetrician must sign off on an abortion after medical tests.

The bill is one of few laws the parliament has approved after hard-liners won disputed February legislative elections.

A few clerics among the lawmakers oppose the bill.

"The bill tells the world that Iran's parliament has permitted abortion. That's why I oppose it," Mohammad Taqi Mohassel said.

Medical student Hengameh Namdari said the bill was nothing but a political gesture.

"The big issue over abortion is to legalize abortion in cases where couples come up with unwanted pregnancies ... the bill is merely a nice gesture of nothing," Namdari said.

But political analyst Davoud Hermidas Bavand said the bill was a positive step.

"Conservatives try to say through this bill that they won't oppose some liberal practices provided they are in power and make the decision, not their opponents. It's also a nice gesture toward the outside world," he said.

07/20/04 13:08 EDT

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press.