Originally published at: Secret life of high-ranking officials of Iran's morality police exposed — leaked videos of drugs and gay sex | Boing Boing
…
4 Likes
It seems that every repressive religious fundamentalist movement has its Ted Haggards.
34 Likes
“Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.”
41 Likes
18 Likes
Once again, I’m sure we’re simply shocked that prominent religious fundies are engaging in behaviour they condemn in others.
But the rulers aren’t furious about the morality police engaging in hypocritical behavior. It’s the video leakers who should be punished because they embarrassed the morality police.
As I said just the other day, it’s always the case that the cardinal sin for conservatives is getting caught.
29 Likes
It’s not just for American fascists
24 Likes
He was the director of the regional office for Gilan province. The national head of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is, of course, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
Reza Seghati, the director general of the office of the Ministry of Culture in Gilan province
8 Likes
To the surprise of absolutely no one…
… those who scream the loudest about ‘morality’ have lots of skeletons in their closets.
Also to the surlprise of no one:
12 Likes
The France 24 report includes a long comment from a former Iranian cleric who now lives in France:
I think the current situation is the result of four decades of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s policies. They have created a religious cult. They have endowed this cult with money, power and prerogatives and given it power throughout the country. It is normal that people who want to benefit from the exclusive privileges of this cult join it, even if their actual lifestyle contradicts the values of this cult and they have to lead a double life.
On the other hand, I can also say that most of them have never seen or touched a woman before marriage. Women are taboo, women mean sin to them. With this strong pressure on any kind of relationship with women – forbidding even the thought of women – relationships with other men are easier because there is no surveillance or pressure on male friendships.These relationships are rooted in the small friendship groups among these extremists who trust each other and believe that no one would find out.
[…]
Iranians are actually angry about this hypocrisy, not about the sexuality of these people. These people claim to be virtuous and holy. They have imposed the strict rules of Sharia on people; they have imposed the hijab on women. If Iran were not a theocracy and if they were not representatives of this religious dictatorship, we would not be talking about them, because it is a relationship between two consenting adults.
Therefore, the Islamic Republic tries to cover up or deny these leaks in order to save the face of its religious structure and its soldiers.
26 Likes
especially because sex between men doesn’t necessarily mean they’re gay, or even would identify as such. sometimes people will do things simply because those things are taboo. and in this case, it seems completely plausible they’re getting off on the power dynamic, not the sex per se.
8 Likes
Ok, I admit that I was a little surprised that the authorities apparently admitted that the videos were real and didn’t try to claim that they are deepfakes created by the U.S. Government in a nefarious scheme to delegitimize the hard-working Iranian government officials.
20 Likes
For some MSM gay is a lifestyle that they aren’t part of.
11 Likes
The men in the videos are regional and local officials, so perhaps the authorities recognise that claims of a foreign plot would be hard to believe. As well as that, the fact that the guardians of Islamic morality do not always practise what they preach is something that everybody in Iran knows but cannot talk about.
7 Likes
“The crime of those who released these videos of fornication is greater than that of the fornicators.”
Oddly enough, I am generally in agreement that releasing someone’s private sex tape is a far worse crime than any kind of sex that could be happening between two or more consenting adults. But I know that’s clearly not the interpretation they’re going for here in condemning the people who’ve called out the hypocritical bigots.
16 Likes
“Cocaine orgies for me, but not for thee”
–Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance
17 Likes
That’s a shame
5 Likes
You can pretty much bet that a significant portion of people charged with enforcing morality rules, use that position to get away with violating them.
From clergy to cops to these morality police. 
7 Likes
9 Likes
Morality Police: Exposed… good title for adult entertainment
8 Likes
10 Likes
