Underwhelming Global Outrage As Iran Enforces New “You Convert From Islam, You Die” Law

Well that’s unfair. Only the males get hung. The women just get to languish in prison for life:

Eighteen years ago, Rashin Soodmand’s father was hanged in Iran for converting to Christianity. Now her brother is in a Mashad jail, and expects to be executed under new religious laws brought in this summer… A month ago, the Iranian parliament voted in favour of a draft bill, entitled “Islamic Penal Code”, which would codify the death penalty for any male Iranian who leaves his Islamic faith. Women would get life imprisonment. The majority in favour of the new law was overwhelming: 196 votes for, with just seven against. Imposing the death penalty for changing religion blatantly violates one of the most fundamental of all human rights… The protest from the EU has been distinctly muted; meanwhile, Germany, Iran’s largest foreign trading partner, has just increased its business deals with Iran by more than half. Characteristically, the United Nations has said nothing.

They seem kind of serious. Not necessarily “set a gay teen free then hang him anyway” serious. But still serious enough to qualify as out and out fascist.

I wonder if this came up during Iran’s recent – and very well attended – religious dialogue lovefest. Maybe Annan brought it up. Or Mary Robinson. Or any of the other leading diplomatic bien pensants who showed up to get the mullahs’ input on religious freedom. No? Well maybe it’ll come up tangentially during discussions about all the money that Germany is pouring into Iran. Or maybe Obama can bring it up during the meetings he’s pledged to have with them: