The world has rallied to the defense of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani, the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. We have been following the case closely on this blog with a mix of both horror and anger. However, the Iranians continue to yield to their bloodlust over her fate, even recently calling for the death of the French First Lady after she called for mercy. Now, the regime is again applying Sharia law and Mohammadi-Ashtiani, 43, was given 99 lashes because a picture was published of her without her veil.
A prison judge reportedly sentenced her to be flogged for spreading “corruption and indecency” by the publication of a photograph of her without a headscarf that appeared in a British newspaper. The Times of London ran the picture that it said was received from one of her lawyers, but the attribution of the photo is now in question. Her son says it is not in fact his mother.
The Iranians originally charged her with adultery and then, after international outcry, added a conspiracy claim in the alleged murder of her husband. Her family has complained that she has been tortured in custody.
The flogging of Mohammadi-Ashtiani would be yet another unspeakable offense against the basic human rights of this woman and yet another example of the grotesque religious-based law imposed in Iran.
We will continue, of course, to follow the plight of this woman and her family.
Source: Radio Free Europe
Jonathan Turley
Buddha Is Laughing
1, September 8, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Anyone else care to play defense for the indefensible Saudi Arabia?
Any questions?
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Nope … I’m with you 100% on this one. (Very interesting links)
Anyone else care to play defense for the indefensible Saudi Arabia?
Any questions?
And a parting shot:
Amnesty International’s 2009 Report on Saudi Arabia
and
Rights Group Accuses Saudi Arabia of ‘Gross’ Abuses
And this:
A bad joke – An alleged quip about the Prophet’s penis led to torture and 13-years in jail in Saudi Arabia.
And this:
The moral minority – These are tough times for Saudi Arabia’s unpopular religious police.
So. There are a dozen accounts that prove your assertions about oppression in Saudi Arabia to be bullshit. I didn’t have to really dig to find them.
And let’s not forget that the 9/11 attacks were manned, planned and funded by . . . Saudi Arabians.
There’s only one thing I hate worse than Saudi Arabia and their theocratic oppressive monarchy.
That’s apologists for Saudi Arabia. Fuck Saudi Arabia, their “royal” family, their religious police, their unelected parliament and last but not least their business partners in the Bush/Cheney criminal families.
So now I say screw you and the Arabian stallion you rode in on and I bid you good day.
And this:
Soft on Sharia? Saudi Arabia Gives Rape Victim 100 Lashes But Is Outdone By Bangladesh Which Gives Rape Victim 101 Lashes
And this:
Saudi Court Upholds Planned Beheading and Crucifixion of Convicted Rapist
And this:
Twelve-Year-Old Girl Seeks Divorce From Eighty-Year-Old Man in Saudi Arabia
And this:
Phone Flog: Saudi Court Orders 13-Year-Old Girl Flogged and Jailed For Bringing Phone to School
And this:
Saudi Arabian Court Re-Sentences Television Host to Death for Sorcery
And this:
Saudi Cleric Defends Marriage of Nine-Year-Old Girls and Blasts Human Rights Treaties as the Work of Atheists and Fornicators
And this:
Spine for a Spine: Saudi Judge Seeks Doctors To Paralyze Defendant Under Sharia Law
And this:
A Kiss Before Flogging: Saudi Police Sentence Man to Jail and Flogging for Kissing Friend in Mall
And you’re free to be wrong all you like.
Have you studied comparative international law?
I have. Including the laws of Saudi Arabia and Iran. If it’s okay with you, I’ll take what my professors taught me over your supposed expertise on Sharia as being authoritative.
Here’s what Human Rights Watch has to say about your buddies the Saudis: http://www.hrw.org/en/node/79258
And let’s not forget stories like this:
Saudi Arabian Couple Allegedly Implant 24 Nails and a Needle in the Feet and Forehead of Maid
BIL,
Actually according to sharia law, a monarchy is not allowed. Therefore, Saudi Arabia’s monarchy is not valid under sharia law thereby negating it’s claims that it does follow it. Also, the sharia is to be enacted under a Muslim Caliph chosen by the Muslim people collectively, there is none currently.
So despite Saudi Arabia’s claims, it is by no means following Sharia, and therefore it’s rules are not valid. Sharia law is only to be followed in a social system that is set up under sharia law.
Whether or not the Saudi Arabian regime is one of the most oppressive is surely debatable. I personally know many people who have lived there and absolutely loved it.
Saudi Arabia’s rules are no more Muslim, then America’s laws are Christian. Just because America cites the Bible in many of its cases does not mean America is a christian state.
Finally, the issue above is 100 % not allowed by sharia law.
MK,
If you’ll look into it, you’ll find that your statement labeled B. is incorrect. Saudi Arabia’s legal system is directly based on Sharia and claims the Quran as the basis for its authority. All criminal cases are tried in Sharia courts, but civil cases may be tried in Sharia court or in the alternative Shiites have a parallel civil court system of their own. Cases against the government are usually handled by administrative courts (which are naturally stacked in favor of the royal family). They have one of the most oppressive governments in the world and given their legal foundation is explicitly in a religion and religious texts, that would have everything to do with a religion.
Culheath, I admire your will to try avoiding the passing of judgment on others.
A. Iran is largely Shia, which is not proper Islam. They are like a “off group” not practicing the religion the way it was revealed, adding their own rules.
B. Sharia, in its true form would never have allowed something as unjust this. There is no country that should pass sharia rulings as no country has a sharia government.
C. Humans err, those in power tend to abuse it. It’s just the sad nature of the human. It has very little to do with the religion, and is actually completely against it.
Hope that clarifies a bit.
Though the media has come out strongly in support for Ashtiani, such support seems more than slightly hypocritical when taking into account the ferocity with which the Western media lashes its own adulteresses, if only verbally.
http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2010/09/iranian-woman-sentenced-to-death-by-stoning-gets-99-lashes-as-well/
It was actually a photograph of another woman–an Iranian exile who lives in Sweden.
From the NYT
Iranian Woman Said to Be Lashed Over Photo
By RAVI SOMAIYA
Published: September 5, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/06/world/middleeast/06iran.html
The latest episode began on Aug. 28, when The Times of London published a photograph on its front page of a dark-haired woman wearing earrings and what appeared to be pink lipstick, which can be seen because the woman is not wearing the chador, or traditional Islamic veil. The headline with the photograph said, “Revealed: true face of the woman Iran wants to stone.” Inside, an editorial urged continued pressure on Tehran not to execute Ms. Ashtiani.
Five days later, The Times published an apology, saying the photograph “was not of Ms. Ashtiani, but of Susan Hejrat, an Iranian exile who lives in Sweden.” It blamed the mistake on confusion among journalists; another of Ms. Ashtiani’s lawyers, Mohammed Mostafaei; and her son Sajad Ghaderzadeh, 22.
Surely 99 lashes is a death sentence?
Anonymously Yours
“… …The day may have changed but time has not…..”
and
mespo,
Not me:
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crises maintain their neutrality.”
~ John F. Kennedy”
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This is going to be one of those days where others write so much better than I and all I want to do is reemphasize their words. I’m a rug, so to speak.
culheath:
“I try to stay open-minded and fight my own ignorance about other cultures mores and something like this comes to light.”
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Not me:
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crises maintain their neutrality.”
~ John F. Kennedy
I try to stay open-minded and fight my own ignorance about other cultures mores and something like this comes to light. I can find zero justification in any context for behavior like this.
I second what BIL said.
During the crusades, both the Catholics and Muslims were responsible for a number of and various different cruelties…The day may have changed but time has not…..
Without her veil and without her consent I might add.
So yes, not only are you barbarians in the Iranian theocracy, you have no concept that people shouldn’t be punished for the acts of others outside their control.
Again confirming theocracy is the worst form of government. Period. No matter what fairy tale you base the rules upon.