Iran to stone 42-year-old mother of two to death for alleged adultery

[BurtWorm]

This, more than Iran's nuclear policy, is evidence of the nation's descent into barbarism:


http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/07/05/iran.stoning/index.html?hpt=C1

(CNN) -- A veteran Iranian human rights activist has warned that Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, a mother of two, could be stoned to death at any moment under the terms of a death sentence handed down by Iranian authorities.

Only an international campaign designed to pressure the regime in Tehran can save her life, according to Mina Ahadi, head of the International Committee Against Stoning and the Death Penalty.

Ashtiani, 42, will be buried up to her chest, according to an Amnesty International report citing the Iranian penal code. The stones that will be hurled at her will be large enough to cause pain but not so large as to kill her immediately.

Ashtiani, who is from the northern city of Tabriz, was convicted of adultery in 2006.

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.

...

[burnsei sensei]

1. Let he who is without sin . . . nt

Oh, wait a minute.
Wrong one.

[FiveGoodMen]

2. Allahu NOT Akbar

How Religion Poisons Everything

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. I tend to use the phrase Allah Fubar my self.

All religions are not equally toxic when it come to its impact on the rights, liberties, and well being of others. Its been a long time since the Quakers or Wiccans stoned people.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Wonder if the apologists will defend this by claiming its cultural or religious

To be clear, not all cultural items should be respected and not all religions are equally heinous. Islam and the sharia are much more of a threat that most other groups to the rights and freedoms of others. Those who claim that all religions are the same in that respect are being dishonest to a fault.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. I've seen people defend FGM with one breath & say that cheesecake filled pancakes should be illegal

with the other.

So, frankly, very little would surprise me in that regard, anymore.

[Nye Bevan]

6. OK, who is going to be the first DUer to claim that the "Christian Fundies" want to do this too

right here in the US? Or to claim that the USA is just as bad because we did this kind of stuff during the Salem Witch Trials in the 17th century?

[Warren DeMontague]

7. First point is correct. Many of them do. Re: Rushdoony, Reconstructionism, etc.

Your second point is ridiculous, however.

[Nye Bevan]

8. It's actually fairly common for DUers to bring up the Salem Witch Trials

in threads about Middle Eastern atrocities. Here's an example:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4151159&mesg_id=4151251

Of course this is extreme political correctness- reaching back a few hundred years to prove that atrocities like stoning are not unique to Islam and have taken place in the USA. (BTW that particular poster has subsequently been banned).

[Warren DeMontague]

10. AFAIC, Islam is right now in it's "Spanish Inquisition" phase. About 1400 yrs old.

There certainly are crazies in this country who want to institute Christian "Biblical Law", but I think any rational, objective observer would acknowledge that the situation with extremist Islam is way worse.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

14. Many fundies DO want this kind of shit

That's the great thing about this country, that somehow our laws keep assholes from doing it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. I saw the movie The Stoning of Soraya M.

which describes the law they go by. The woman's word has no value, but any 2 men can say a woman did something and it will be taken as truth.
This is often used as a way to legally get rid of one's wife for various reasons.
The husband and male children throw the first stones at the woman's head and social pressure makes
others join in.

Ugggghhhhh.

[etherealtruth]

11. Technically a woman's word has some value ....

I can't remember whether it is half the value of a man's word or 2/3 its value .... yeah, I know :puke:

[etherealtruth]

12. Duplicate post ---- sorry

[maxsolomon]

13. just exile her to the USA

there's plenty of Persians here to welcome her.