In a world that should be above this sort of thing, enter Iran and the pending execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani. The Iranian mother of two children has been condemned to death, although no date has been set for the event. Human rights groups say it could come at any minute. What is her crime that she should be buried up to her chest and stoned to death with rocks small enough that they will not kill her outright? According to a five-judge panel, she has committed the sin of adultery.
Please understand, if Ashtiani has committed the sin of adultery, I do not condone that in the least. Having said that, adultery should not bring on the death penalty by any means, least of all by the barbaric practice of stoning. I can think of nothing that could cause someone so much physical pain before dying, unless someone set out to specifically torture a person. I can not even imagine the pain and suffering that this woman will go through, before eventually dying.
From what I have been able to learn about this story, the original conviction was handed down after Ashtiani confessed to the act. This confession came only after she was beaten. Here is more on the story from CNN:
She was forced to confess after being subjected to 99 lashes, human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei said Thursday in a telephone interview from Tehran.
She later retracted that confession and has denied wrongdoing. Her conviction was based not on evidence but on the determination of three out of five judges, Mostafaei said. She has asked forgiveness from the court but the judges refused to grant clemency.
Iran’s supreme court upheld the conviction in 2007.
There is a strong, international campaign that is trying to put pressure on Iran to call off the stoning. The State Department has criticized the execution and there is even a Facebook page to help promote the campaign. In it’s criticism, the State Department pointed out the treatment of women by the judicial system in Iran.
In Washington, the State Department has criticized the scheduled stoning, saying it raised serious concerns about human rights violations by the Iranian government.
“We have grave concerns that the punishment does not fit the alleged crime, ” Assistant Secretary of State P.J. Crowley said Thursday. “For a modern society such as Iran, we think this raises significant human rights concerns.”
Calling Iran’s judicial system “disproportionate” in its treatment of women, Crowley said, “From the United States’ standpoint, we don’t think putting women to death for adultery is an appropriate punishment.”
I would have to agree with P.J. Crowley and then ask a question. If Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is guilty of adultery, then why isn’t the man with whom she committed the act being stoned to death as well? It’s just a thought, but it appears that the woman bears the brunt of the responsibility in such cases. That’s something that goes beyond my thinking, because the last time I checked, it takes two people to tango.
This situation highlights a stark reality about the Islamic world. They are very strict about a lot of things, but especially about their women. I fail to see how the treatment of these women is anything less than abuse and it makes me wonder how anyone in their society could stand idly by and watch it happen. Something else to consider is this. If they are willing to do something like this to one of their own people, what are they willing to do to us, whom they deem to be infidels? Do they really need to ask why we distrust them so much?
They are treating the women of their society as second-class citizens and that is as great a tragedy as any I know. Given the tyrannical regime in Iran and how it trends to the more radical side of Islam, one can only hope that the international community is able to put enough pressure on Tehran to have them call off the stoning.
As a woman, and as a human being, I find the treatment of women in Iran appalling! I recently watching a stoning and it is inhumane and degrading.
I personally highly doubt that this woman is guilty of this act as the requirement for the charge and accusation is merely a man saying so. Her word literally means nothing in this country.
I will be praying for a miracle not just for her but for her two children. As a mother I cannot even begin to imagine what this might be like.
BTW – 99 lashes – and then a confession? I think WE call that a coerced confession which cannot be used in our court system. I think I might even break with 99 lashes. Geez…
That sends a strong message not to sleep around. There is more to this case than meets the eye too, she was suspected of murdering her husband and has ongoing legal proceedings from that. I don’t think this is just about her being unfaithful. Although maybe we would have less divorce and more cohesive families here if husbands/wives got stoned for being sluts.
Thanks for commenting, Marcos. However, I couldn’t disagree more with your statements. As I said in the post, I do not condone adultery, but this sort of punishment is completely barbaric.
From the research I have done, it appears she has already been questioned about the murder of her husband. That is when the 99 lashes were applied. That still does not make it right for her to be killed in this manner.
This is such a sad story, and this woman will likely pay the price for being born in an Islamic country.
Just as a contrast, what did Jesus say to the crowd that wanted to stone an adulteress?
They want to bring their laws to us. Chopping off hands, stoning, crucifixion… all of these things are “justice” in the Koran. Of course, men don’t have to really worry about being killed for adultery.
Amnesty International USA has started an online action on this case. Please visit http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=14503 to take action and submit an appeal to the Supreme Leader of Iran and the head of the Iranian judiciary to ask that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s death sentence not be carried out!
If she is indeed found guilty of murdering her husband, let her punishment be either life in prison or death by lethal injection. I have no problem with the death penalty for the commission of a capital offense. But there has been no mention of that crime in the accounts I have perused. She is slated for a brutal death simply for “dishonoring” her husband.
As an aside: the mainstream media worldwide refers to stoning to death as “lapidation”, a term that would quite possibly garner positive polling numbers if the question were phrased properly.
In a country where corporal punishment is considered “verbotten” for strict parents, how could the same detractors for such advocate Shar’ia law in the U.S.?
Thanks for commenting on Political Realities, Daniel. I appreciate you taking the time to do so.
You are right, there is no mention of the possible murder in the accounts I have read. The penalty of stoning is strictly for the adultery.
Good point about Shar’ia law.