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On August 23, 2010, In Human
Rights, By M. Varn Chandola
.
Stoning Execution of Woman In
Iran
Are there any tribes, cults, cultures, etc. within which human
sacrifice is still performed as a religious practice? The
depictions of human sacrifice under the Aztecs, for instance, never
failed to stir my imagination as I would feel nauseated and terrified by
the thought of how it must have felt to be one of the victims who would
be taken to the top of a temple, laid down on a stone slab, and then
have their abdomens sliced open as their beating hearts were taken out.
The Aztecs performed these sacrifices to appease specific gods.
Let me not only pick on the Aztecs. Upon browsing through
Wikipedia, one will find that human sacrifice was practiced within
several different cultures or religious groups throughout the world.
However, Wikipedia treated human sacrifice as an ancient rite which no
longer finds acceptance in modern religions. While there is
considerable violence around the world in the name of religion, the
recognized religions of today condemn human sacrifice as a barbaric
practice. Although I believed that the last vestiges of human
sacrifice disappeared over a century ago, I recently discovered that it
was still being practiced and legally recognized in “modern” day
Iran where Sakineh Mohammedie Ashtiani was sentenced to die by an
ancient ritualistic practice under the pretense of religion.
Sakineh Mohammedie Ashtiani, a forty-three year old mother of two who
was convicted of adultery by an Iranian court, was sentenced to death by
stoning. Stoning is a recognized form of execution under
Iran
’s penal code which is based on Islamic Law. Considering that
the Quran, unlike the Bible, does not mention stoning as a prescribed
method of execution, the practice finds its legality under
Iran
’s debatable interpretation of Sharia law which is considered by
Muslims to be God’s law. So how is stoning carried out?
After the convicted individual who is a female in the vast majority of
cases is wrapped in a white shroud from head to toe and buried in a hole
up to her breasts, rocks are then thrown at her head until she dies.
Article 104 of
Iran
’s Penal Code specifically states that the appropriate stones for
carrying out the killing “not be large enough to kill the person by
one or two strikes; nor should they be so small that they could not be
defined as stones”. While I am not aware that geologists or
lawyers are employed for the purpose of selecting and defining stones
that fit the proper legal standard, it is obvious that death must be
inflicted by extremely painful means. Apparently, according to
reports of such stoning executions, anywhere from ten to thirty minutes
of pelting the victim’s head with rocks by a group of citizens usually
accomplishes the goal.
Based on international pressure,
Iran
appears to have modified the means of execution for Ashtiani to the more
internationally accepted practice of hanging. While Ashtiani may
dodge the stone, only to be caught by the noose, there are still others
in
Iran
who are condemned to die by stoning. At this point, I will not
discuss my views against the death penalty or whether the means of
execution are irrelevant because Ashtiani is sentenced to die one way or
the other. However, I want to return to the assertion that human
sacrifice is practiced in
Iran
. While I oppose the death penalty regardless of whether it is
recognized in democracies such as the
United States
,
Japan
and
India
or in autocracies like
China
,
North Korea
and
Zimbabwe
, none of these nations bring religion into the picture to justify
taking one’s life. Religion is supposed to be about higher
values despite all the violence that takes place in its name. To
kill someone to appease the gods or God not only flies in the face of
religious idealism , but fits the basic definition of human sacrifice.
Wikipedia defines human sacrifice as “the act of killing one or
more human beings as part of a religious ritual”. As
Iran
recognizes and carries out the act of stoning specifically under the
dictates of “God’s law” and for the purpose of fulfilling or
abiding by God’s will, the ritual is cloaked in religion. Human
sacrifice is therefore well and alive in
Iran
. So what is the point of proving that such a gory relic exists in
the country? For those who think that the ritual is an
extinct practice which may be read about in history books or a
sensational event that is covered by Hollywood action flicks, today
there exist human beings who are set to be sacrificed in Iran for the
purpose of fulfilling or abiding by God’s will.
The purpose of referring to
Iran
as a state sponsor of human sacrifice is not really to stick it with an
“evil empire” or “axis of evil” label, but to demonstrate just
how far the country has fallen from the norms of decency. While
the country is joined by the human rights challenged nations of
Saudi Arabia
and
Somalia
in the stone casting club,
Iran
is in the spotlight due to all the international attention on the
Ashtiani case. The level of shock around the world is such that
even President Lula of
Brazil
took the unusual and diplomatically unnecessary step of going out of his
way to offer Ashtiani asylum while he embraces and forges closer
relations with
Iran
.
In the midst of hearing about Ashtiani’s horrific ordeal, I somehow
felt a strange sense of pity for
Iran
. In considering the great history of the Persian Empire, it is
difficult to believe that the
Iran
of today actually exists. While civilizations may have their highs
and lows, for an act such as stoning to have official sanction in modern
times is difficult to fathom. Under the country’s present
circumstances, it is comical to hear
Iran
barking out moral protestations against the West and the rest of the
world when it has no shame about how it treats and yes, sacrifices, its
own citizens.
Ashtiani’s children are bravely making an international plea for
help in saving their mother’s life. One can only hope that she
is granted asylum in
Brazil
along with her children. While Iran is well recognized for its
human rights abuses, stoning one to death, and that too for an offense
such as adultery, is such a savage and barbaric act that it should
completely soak up ones conscience. So long as the practice of
stoning continues in
Iran
,
Iran
will continue to live in the Stone Age.
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