Mullahs Vs. Drug Fiends

Plagued by an opium epidemic in its major cities, fueled by crops from poppy-rich Afghanistan, Iran’s murderous mullahs are ramping up their deadly war on drug users.  According to the anti-death penalty group Hands Off Cain, in January 2011 the country’s Islamist judiciary ordered the execution of at least 56 alleged drug offenders---over 35% of them under the age of 25. While drug-related executions in Iran have been growing for years now, the practice gained renewed attention last January after the public hanging of Zahra Bahrami, a 36-year-old dual Dutch-Iranian citizen, who was first arrested in Teheran while participating in the massive anti-government demonstrations of 2009. She was hanged last week in Teheran’s notorious Evin Prison, after authorities searching her apartment allegedly discovered a pound of pure cocaine and another pound of opium, and charged her with intent to distribute. Bahrami, whose execution was vehemently denounced by the Dutch government, denied all charges, claiming that she was targeted for her political views.  Ignoring international condemnation, Iran shows no sign of slowing down its bloody jihad. Of the 65 people executed by the Iranian government last January, 56 were killed for drug-related offenses.