More Barbarism: Sakineh Ashtiani's Sentence To Be Stoned

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A path to justice?

Well, it's only the beginning of the week and I already feel like a broken record on the issue of the mistreatment of women in Islamic culture. But not so broken that I can't do as asked and spread the word. As today's Guardian column by Maryam Namazie asks, "What isn't wrong with Sharia Law?"

Convicted of adultery after a reportedly coerced confession in 2006, 99 lashes was evidently not enough punishment for Sakineh Ashtiani. The Sharia-based court that reexamined her case decided that, really, being stoned to death was more fitting. Oops on the fact that she was lashed, already. Protests have been organized in DC and elsewhere. Psychology Today blogs about Sakineh and other young women who have been sentenced to such horrible fates as does the International Campaign for Human Rights.

Men are seldom stoned. And in a charming little twist of design fate, women are buried up to their necks for stoning while men only to their waists. Why? If the stoning victim manages to escape their pit during stoning, they are set free, because after all, it must be God's will that allows them to escape. Unless they've got those two X chromosomes, of course. Then you have to make sure it's much harder because after all, women are the root of all evil and even God could be tricked. Right? So let's make the decision for him.

No word on what happened to the men who allegedly committed adultery with Sakineh. I guess the local mullah gave them what for. Maybe they had to pray a bit extra? Fast a bit? Promise to pick out some nice single girl and get Nikah_mut‘ah or sigheh married (which, like baad, you all just know I have the highest opinion of...)  instead, next time, okay?

As Maryam Namazie says, attacking Sharia isn't attacking religion. It is rather, a defense of basic human rights. And, from my view, pursuit of equality of justice, as well. But then, these sentences clearly aren't about justice at all. They are about controlling women and holding power, specifically the power of fear, over them.

Join the Facebook page for Sakineh here.

And don't think you're done with the topic. Azar Bagheri, 19, and Marian Ghorbanzadeh, 25, are convicted and sentenced to the same fate, along with, reportedly, many others. Azar was convicted as a minor but now that she's 19, she's old enough to murder execute.

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This topic has been updated on Bright Nepenthe as of July 9, 2010..

© Bright Nepenthe, 2010