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Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The Latest in Iranian Barbarity

"At that time it should have been finished. They should have punished her only once. Her documents say she is innocent. She paid for the crime five years ago." - CNN Article
This is one of the desperate cries of Iranian citizen Sajjad Mohammedie Ashtiani as he struggles to save his mother, Sakineh Mohammedie Ashtiani, from a stoning sentence imposed by he courts of Iran for alleged adultery.
The story, however, is not that simple, with Sakineh receiving a sentence of 99 lashes for her 'illicit relation outside marriage' in 2006, a punishment she endured under her [then 17 year-old] son's helpless eyes as he watched Iranian officials carry out her sentence. "I simply could not leave my mother alone," said a distraught Sajjad. Thinking the worst was over, and that his mother would soon be released after paying her 'debt' to a savagely cruel and ruthlessly impractical judicial system, Sajjad would then be devastated to hear that the authorities re-opened his mother's file and decided, almost on a whim, that she be stoned in punishment for adultery, and that she was involved in some way in her husband's murder. She has since been cleared of the murder charges, but a panel of judges decided to 'get to the bottom' of her adultery charges and that she be put to death.

Sakine is now helplessly stranded in prison, awaiting her fate, after a horribly unfavorable verdict.
"Legally, it's all over, and we have no chance. It's a done deal. Sakine can be stoned at any minute," says human rights activist Mina Ahadi, herself once sentenced to stoning for similar allegations. She fled the sentence and is now helping Sajjad in his campaign.
Her son is doing everything he can to get her a letter of pardon from higher authorities, using all means available to him. This included a plea to the government and international community and media to exert as much pressure as possible on Iranian officials, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Kamenei, or Judiciary Chairman Sadegh Larijani"
"All I ask for is a letter. I want a letter for my dear mother. Please write this letter of pardon because she is innocent, 100 percent innocent. If you do not have respect for what I am saying, just take a look at her file. You will see she is innocent".
There has been no response from Iranian officials on the matter.
"We are unable to explain the anguish of every moment, every second of our lives. Words are unable to articulate our fear." - From Sajjad and his sister Farideh.
For more on stoning and my reactions, read this related post about a similar incident a short while ago.

Sad...

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

well... recently in Quebec, fathers went on strike and one man threatened to throw himself off a bridge, just to demand a BIT of rights for child's custody. They didn't get much. That's how powerful women are in Canada. I'm confused... is this article relating the story of a woman on THIS PLANET?????aren't we all on the same planet earth? i'd rather not think about it....
N.

Le colleague said...

Many other women have their share of this system... this is not a one-off and it has happened time and time again...
You're right it's like we humans live on 2 -or more- different planets! I understand a few cultural differences, but this is too much...

Anonymous said...

... et il se trouve encore des personnes qui prétendent que la loi de la sharia est juste et bonne et universelle... et surtout qu'elle garantit les droits de la femme!!! Si ce n'est pas de l'hypocrisie, que quelqu'un m'explique ce que c'est!

Le colleague said...

Translation of the above comment:
"...and there are still people who pretend that the law of the [islamic] Shari'a is just, good, and universal, and especially that it guarantees women's rights!!! If this is not hypocrisy, I don't know what is!"

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