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Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Nothing but rage against this Islamic barbarity

No, No, No...

According to Asriran, Jafar Kiana, 47, was stoned to death in Aghche-kand, Qazvin province, on Thursday 5 July.

The Committee against Stoning and Amnesty International are urging people to continue campaigning on behalf of his partner, Mokarrameh Ebrahimi, 43.

The two had spent more than 11 years in prison for having an 'adulterous' relationship. They have two children who have been 'living' with their mother in prison.

Their stoning was planned for 21 June but was suspended due to national and internationl pressure.

According to the news report, the stoning of Jafar Kiana was carried out by the regime's officials.

The Islamic reigme of Iran also said that 20 more would be executed in the coming days on morality violations for such things as "rape, insulting religious sanctities and laws, and homosexuality." The police had arrested about 1,000 people in May during a 'morality crackdown'.

***

How can there be anything but rage against this Islamic barbarity?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Iran, like the West, has a drugs problem.

By FREDERIK DAHL (Reuters)
May 23, 2007

Young Iranians queue for methadone to help end years of drug addiction. Elsewhere in the building, a pale, bearded man lies motionless on a bed, his eyes closed, after starting detoxification.

In the yellow brick building in downtown Tehran, an Iranian non-governmental organization is helping people kick the habit and fighting narcotics abuse that blights hundreds of thousands of Iranians' lives, and wrecks families.

The scale of drug abuse in Iran, which straddles a major smuggling route, is a problem the conservative Islamic state shares with the United States and its other Western foes -- and one that seems to be growing.

"We are very busy here," said nurse Mariam Zahab, preparing small packets of white methadone powder for those waiting for their weekly dose of heroin or opium substitute in the clinic run by the Aftab (sunshine) Society.

"It is a big problem and it is growing, we see it, we experience it," said the middle-aged woman dressed in a loose-fitting hijab, sitting behind a wooden desk in Aftab's spartan premises.

Iran shares a 560-mile border with Afghanistan, the world's number one producer of the opium poppy which is the key ingredient for heroin. Opium production there rose by as much as 50 percent last year to supply more than 90 percent of global heroin, according to a United Nations estimate.

One of Aftab's patients said it was now easier to find narcotics in Tehran than alcohol -- also banned in Iran.

"I've used drugs for 18 years -- cannabis, opium and heroin," said Vahid, 35, like others here wary of giving his full name. "It is very cheap."


Numbers Up, Ages Down
The United Nations' top anti-drugs official in Tehran said an estimated 1.2 to 2 million people from a total population of 70 million in Iran take drugs.

"Iran is experiencing increased pressure from traffickers," said Roberto Arbitrio, representative in Iran of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Anonymous said...

This is the English translation of a post by Another Viewpoint, regarding the recent stoning in Iran.

The Iranian Judiciary acted very thoughtfully when they stoned him (and not both of them). Obviously, all the human rights and anti-execution organizations will start condemning it. However, their main energy will be concentrated on saving her. Then, the Judiciary can cancel the stoning of the lady and proudly say “See? We are not that bad! We listen to the international concerns, especially about women.” At the same time, they have sent a message to the layers of the Iranian society who, for any reason, were looking forward to the stoning. The message would be, “We do not listen to anyone. We carry out God’s verdict.” To sum up, a man has been victimized by the power struggle. I do wish stoning is forgotten forever.
http://kamangir.net/2007/07/10/an-intelligent-stoning/


BTW, Ossanlou was kidnapped today.

http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/1419

Anonymous said...

Appalling. The predicament of the Iranian leadership is that instead of performing its duties of bringing about security, creating job opportunities, providing the people with a dignified life, promoting culture and industrializing the nation, it has occupied itself with preaching and guidance whilst Iran suffers a real threat/crisis both internally and externally.

cobalt_blue said...

Yes, it is a barbarity to the rest of us, but it is not a barbarity under Islam. In fact, the act of stoning is quite "proper" in the eyes of Allah.

From the "Holy" Koran, 24:2

"24:2 The adulterer and the adulteress, scourge ye each one of them (with) a hundred stripes. And let not pity for the twain withhold you from obedience to Allah, if ye believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a party of believers witness their punishment."

Pay special note to the part about "let not pity for the twain withhold you". Allah discourages mercy or compassion for adulterers.

From the perspective of Islam, the execution by stoning in Iran was "just". From the perspective of the rest of humanity, however, it is barbarity.

SERENDIP said...

Are you aware that stoning prior to mullah rule was not part of the law in Iran? Bear in mind that I’m referring to 3500 year plus history of Iran, not just the Shah’s era.

Do you also realize that the act of stoning is often performed by a group of people including children? Stoning is in fact torture which leads to death. It is a slow and painful death/execution. Stones used to hit the person must be of certain shape and size. Using big stones that can lead to instant death are against the Islamic law (sharia) in Iran.

Moreover, the basis for stoning a person is a ritual which is practiced by muslim pilgrims visiting Mecca. It is called “stoning of the Devil/Satan”. During this ritual, pilgrims must personally look for and gather appropriate shape/size stones, bring them back to an appropriate location and begin to throw them at a pretend-to-be devil as an act of denouncing and renouncing the Devil (Satan).

However, there are vast differences between stoning a pretend-to-be-devil vs. a real person.

3. The judiciary, legal system and courts, in general, in Mullah ruled Iran are absolutely dysfunctional. Two different people can be sentenced to two different punishments for exactly the same crime depending on how much each one is favored by those in charge of passing the sentence.

If stoning for adultery was to be applied across the board, then many of the ruling mullahs and their cohorts should have stoned to death long ago. Not to mention that many of the articles which currently exist in Islamic government constitution are not adhered to or are generally so vague and codified that one can interpret them any way one wants to and is expedient. They are highly subjective.

Regardless, stoning, as a form of punishment for a capital offense, is actually mentioned in IR constitution including articles 83, 102 and 104.

4. “what is valued in a soceity, what crimes constitutes a capital offense and why?” Adultery is not valued in Iranian society, but nor is stoning. Stoning is valued and enforced by Mullahs in the society. There lies the difference. However, I don’t dispute that certain groups actually enjoy it such as: Bassij thugs and those who get their kicks out of torture and killing of others. I consider them sadists and mentally unstable i.e. psychotic.

5. How do we define adultery in Mullah ruled Iran? Have you heard of temporary marriage “seegheh”? Under sharia (Islamic law in Iran) with a few words, you can become temporarily married to someone for any period of time. Women often practice it due to economic/financial hardship.

Even married women, whose husbands may be unable to provide for them and the family because of drug addiction (Iran has a very high percentage of drug addicts) can be temporarily married in order to feed their family and children. Of course, “seegheh” to me is not only a legalized form of prostitution, but it can also be construed as adultery.

Men in current Iran can have 4 wives at the same time. Additionally, men can have up to 12 “seegheh” i.e. concubines. Traditionally, the practice of polygamy and “seegheh” - an arab/muslim practice - are frowned upon by the mainstream in Iran and never existed in Persian society or culture, certainly not prior to Islamic laws being enforced in the society and in people’s personal lives.

In conclusion, I think the useful idiots reasoning, as far as mullahs occupying (historically they are called TAZI's or Arab Collaborators) Iran is concerned is rather simplistic. And, I hope you will find the above informative