| | The Carter administration viewed the Ayatollah Khomeini as a "[[progressive]] force for [[human rights]]," the "Iranian Mandela"' and "Iranian Gandhi." One of the Ayatollah's first acts was to issue a [[fatwa]] promising paradise for children who joined the Iranian military during the [[Iran-Iraq war]]. By 1982, with [[Shi'a]] clergy in command, the government asked children, age 9 years old and up, to clear minefields so the regular Army could advance against the [[Saddam Hussein]]'s Army. <ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/iran-iraq.htm Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), ''Iraqi Retreats, 1982-84''], Globalsecruity.org, retrieved 20 March 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.matthiaskuentzel.de/contents/ahmadinejads-demons ''Ahmadinejad's Demons: A Child of the Revolution Takes Over''], Matthias Küntzel, The New Republic, 24 April 2006 .</ref> About 100,000 died as ''Basij'' child soldiers building the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]]. | | The Carter administration viewed the Ayatollah Khomeini as a "[[progressive]] force for [[human rights]]," the "Iranian Mandela"' and "Iranian Gandhi." One of the Ayatollah's first acts was to issue a [[fatwa]] promising paradise for children who joined the Iranian military during the [[Iran-Iraq war]]. By 1982, with [[Shi'a]] clergy in command, the government asked children, age 9 years old and up, to clear minefields so the regular Army could advance against the [[Saddam Hussein]]'s Army. <ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/iran-iraq.htm Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), ''Iraqi Retreats, 1982-84''], Globalsecruity.org, retrieved 20 March 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.matthiaskuentzel.de/contents/ahmadinejads-demons ''Ahmadinejad's Demons: A Child of the Revolution Takes Over''], Matthias Küntzel, The New Republic, 24 April 2006 .</ref> About 100,000 died as ''Basij'' child soldiers building the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]]. |
| | + | As reports seeped back of people who wanted to leave the Peoples Temple in Guyana, [[Harvey Milk]] – the first openly gay elected official who was endorsed by the Peoples Temple for San Francisco city councilman – wrote a letter to President Carter defending Rev. Jones "as a man of the highest character," and stating that Temple defectors were trying to "damage Rev. Jones' reputation" with "apparent bold-faced lies".<ref>Milk, Harvey [http://www.brasscheck.com/jonestown/milk.jpg ''Letter Addressed to President Jimmy Carter, Dated February 19, 1978''] {{Webarchive|url=https://www.webcitation.org/5vybbC0i4?url=http://www.brasscheck.com/jonestown/milk.jpg |date=January 24, 2011 }}</ref> The Temple claimed that "reactionary forces were trying to destroy his [Jones] image because he is the most persistent [[Social justice warrior|fighter for social justice]].<ref>Peoples Temple, [http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/3VictimConspirBrochure.pdf ''Victims of Conspiracy Brochure''], Jonestown Alternative Considerations, San Diego State University {{cite web |url=http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/JTResearch/opposition/3VictimConspirBrochure.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2019-01-31 |deadurl=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/5vybVUjVl?url=http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/AboutJonestown/JTResearch/opposition/3VictimConspirBrochure.pdf |archivedate=January 24, 2011 |df= }}</ref> |