The Iranian whip

[pms]

With the arrival of summer and school vacations, Iran's hard-line clerics
are on the warpath again. Sources in Tehran say the police are tightening up
on Iranian youth as an antidote to more pop music being allowed, and a
somewhat more relaxed dress code. On Sunday a judge in Shiraz sentenced the
musicians and the singer who had performed at a birthday in a private home
to 74 lashes, and handed down the same sentence to the 17-year-old girl
whose party it was, saying they had taken part in a "depraved event" at
which there was "mixed dancing" to live music -- both prohibited. Police had
raided the house and arrested everyone at the party. The other 25 guests
were sentenced to 40 lashes

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=29062002-055034-1026r