USCIRF Puts Religious Freedom Spin on President's New Iran Sanctions

On Sept. 29, President Obama issued an Executive Order (full text) imposing financial sanctions on eight Iranian officials connected with the Revolutionary Guard, armed forces, Iranian intelligence service and national police.  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the sanctions were imposed on "officials responsible for serious and sustained human rights abuses since the disputed election of June 2009." (Full text of statement.) As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, the Order for the first time makes use of new authority given to the President in the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions Accountability and Divestment Act of 2010.  The Executive Order blocks funds of the 8 individuals in the U.S. or in overseas branches of U.S. banks and bars the contribution of funds, goods or services to the individuals. A Release issued last week by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom attempts to put a religious freedom spin on the new sanctions order. According to USCIRF: "During the past year, the Iranian government’s poor religious freedom record deteriorated, especially for religious minorities such as Baha’is, Christians, and Sufi Muslims, and physical attacks, harassment, detention, arrests, and imprisonment intensified. Even the recognized non-Muslim religious minorities–Jews, Armenian and Assyrian Christians, and Zoroastrians–protected under Iran’s constitution faced increasing discrimination and repression."