It looks like Iran’s Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a woman sentenced to death for adultery, might avoid stoning after all. Iran apparently has a human rights council (did you know that? I did not know that!), and some of its members are stating publicly that it looks like Ashtiani’s punishment might not be the ultimate. It must have been all those boobs …
But seriously, while this is certainly good news for Ashtiani and also perhaps some slight sign that Iran is demonstrating a shred …
… of investment in what the international world thinks of them (hey, I’m a Pollyanna), the issue does bring up some interesting issues about the topic that will never die—the death penalty.
Ashtiani was convicted in 2006 of having an “illicit relationship” with two men after the murder of her husband the year before. Later that year, she was also convicted of adultery and sentenced to be stoned, even though she retracted a confession that she says was made under duress.
Iranian authorities then said she has also been convicted of involvement in the murder and could be executed by hanging
It wasn’t all that long ago that widowed women in America were considered inappropriate if they started dating after the death of their husbands. And look at Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter (and I’m talking Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book, not the dreadful movie with Demi Moore)—her husband was presumed dead, she was suddenly pregnant, and she was forced to show her shame to the world for eternity through wearing an A (for adultery, natch) on her dress for the rest of her life. Brutal.
But I realize that Iran’s is a culture I will never understand. Hell, I don’t understand what was done in the Salem Witch Trials under the guise of religion, and I’m descended from some of those peeps.
What I found most intriguing here was that the head of Iran’s Council of Human Rights, Mohammad Javad Larijani, actually made some very interesting points regarding the death penalty—and, if you can get over the knee jerk reaction, it’s actually pretty relevant.
[Larijani] also criticized international media for their double standard, focusing on the Iranian judicial system and not mentioning such cases as an American woman executed in September for using sex and money to arrange for the killings of her husband and stepson.
“Nothing is said about the American woman, but there are lots of criticism regarding our judicial system,” and this shows “how biased, unrealistic and hypocritical and malicious” this media hype about Iran is.
Yeah, the thing is, the death penalty is most commonly used in the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. In fact, there are many countries that won’t extradite prisoners to the United States because of our use of the death penalty (nearly 1,000 put to death between 1976 and today).
I think that, whatever your view on the death penalty is, it’s noteworthy that the USA’s penal system is considered by some countries to be barbaric to the degree that they won’t allow prisoners’ death sentences to be carried out here. I certainly don’t equate lethal injection to stoning or hanging, but it’s certainly worth putting into the big picture.
Anyway, Larijani probably has good information considering that his brother, Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani, is “head of Iran’s judiciary,” so it’s looking a little bit better for Ashtiani (not that life in an Iranian prison is probably any sort of picnic).
What are your thoughts on this really very murky situation?
Um, one can support the death penalty and still take issue with the way Iran runs their legal system to completely discount anything by a woman, and presume people guilty as desired, or take issue with the laws of Iran which make a rape victim guilty of a crime, or confessions under torture, or the law against sex outside of marriage.
The two have nothing to do with each other.
Most of the time, the issue at hand here is that the crimes for which they sentence people to death shouldn’t even BE a crime.
And the way they convict people is unjust.
The death penalty is a separate issue.
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There is no possible comparison between executing an American woman for first degree murder, and executing an Iranian woman for having sex. To allow it is to give credit that Iran does not deserve in the slightest.
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Yes, some countries are completely opposed to the death penalty. And that’s cool. But having the death penalty still has nothing to do with the entire unjust legal system.
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Personally, I am opposed to the death penalty. I am very supportive of life in prison, but not of the death penalty. But I am quite happy that Alberta did not seek the extradition of our recent citizen who was executed in the States. He committed a crime in your country, he was given a fair trial in your country, and he was punished according to the laws of your country. I saw no reason to bring the loser home.
Unfortunately, it costs way more to house a prisoner for the rest of his or her life than it would to execute them. Most people who are proponents of life in prison and against the death penalty do not realize this fact, but many times they are the ones who bitch and moan about where tax dollars are going. I think it’s a bit naive to say that one is firmly for, or against, the death penalty, when each case varies vastly.
Why is that naive? It is a statement of belief. I do not believe in the right to execute prisoners. Period. In any case. I do believe strongly that an offender should be removed from society forever, but I do not support killing them. It is a principle, and it does not change according to the case. There is not a stitch of naivety about that.
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That said, yes, I have an issue with the money spent on prisons. It does NOT cost more to house a prisoner than to execute him. It simply costs more to house a prisoner in the current splendour of our North American prison systems.
The terms under which I would imprison a terrible offender for life would be vastly less plush, and would require work of some sort in order to receive food and other necessities. It’s not supposed to be a spa.
I agree that the current prison system can be pretty fluffy. Mind you, I still don’t want to go to prison, but I like to consider myself a law-abiding citizen, so that’s really to be expected.
It would be great if prisoners had to work more and earn their keep in prison. I think some prisons already have programs like that, but I don’t think they’re all that widespread.
I don’t want to go to prison either. Prison *should* be a place you don’t want to go. Yes, the loss of freedom is probably always a deterrent, but it seems the opportunities are bigger inside than without for some people.
I support my tax dollars paying for rehabilitation programs, mental health issues, and reintegration into society work.
Not college educations.
And prisoners should not get to vote. You get yourself thrown in jail, you have removed yourself from civil society, and you don’t get to enjoy the benefits of it. That pisses me off.
I love your brain, Kai.
“Yeah, the thing is, the death penalty is most commonly used in the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.”
While true, stating it this way is very misleading.
The leaders are:
1. China
China tops the list with a population of 1.3 BILLION and approximately 5,000 executions for 2010. This is according to Amnesty International.
2.Iran
Iran is next with a population of 76.92 million and 146 executions in 2010. This is actually down from last year -402 executions.
3. Iraq
Population 31.5 million. Executions: 77
4. Saudi Arabia
Population: 27.5 million Executions:69
5. USA
Population: 308 million Executions:45
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So yes, not only is Kai’s point about the non crimes being punishable by execution valid, but they kill a lot of people per capita.
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And it looks as if they do it for fun.
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Most executions in the Western world are lethal injection.
The Middle East is big on hangings (with the victim’s families as active participants), beheadings and stonings.
China favors firing squads.
Can the Photshop job on this picture possibly be done any worse?
Maybe have a toddler draw it?