Last week, it was reported (and disputed) that Iran is considering adopting an "Islamic" dress code for Muslims and non—Muslims alike.  Muslims will be prohibted from wearing "gay, wild, provocative" colors, like red, yellow, and light blue, which are considered the Devil's colors.  Instead, they will be required to wear black, brown, dark blue, and gray.  Infidels, however, will be required to wear strips of cloth with the Devil's colors:  yellow for Jews, red for Christians, light blue for Zoroastrians. 

As Amir Taheri explains, there are several purported reasons for this dress code.  First,

"the new Islamic uniforms will establish 'visual equality' for Iranians as they prepare for the return of the Hidden Imam." 

Second, the dress code will enable Muslims to identify infidels, so they can avoid shaking hands with them and thereby becoming "unclean." 

And third, the dress code will be promoted to Muslims worldwide so that

"every Muslim, wherever he or she happens to be on this earth, is a living and walking symbol of Islam."

But there is another obvious, and quite practical, reason for Iran to identify "infidels" in this manner:  It will make it much easier to single them out for kidnapping, violence, and other acts of retaliation, if and when an American attack on Iran's nuclear facilities occurs.  We had better be prepared for this now, because it is certain that the Iranian regime and its supporters will take Iranian Jews and Christians hostage and threaten to kill them if the United States takes military action against the regime. 

They may take them hostage as soon as American forces start building up, or they may start killing them as soon as our attack begins.  Either way, the Iranian regime will try to use the threat of killing Iranian Jews and Christians to stave off an American attack.  Once again, the Islamic radicals will test our resolve in this existential confrontation.  We better start steeling ourselves for this situation now.

Steven M. Warshawsky    5 21 06