Carnal Reason

This is no great surprise:

BERLIN, Sep 29 (IPS) - Amnesty International has issued an urgent appeal calling on its members to write letters to the Republic of Iran asking them not to stone seven women.

Nearly all of the women have been sentenced to die by stoning for adultery. Officially Iran had placed a moratorium on the cruel and painful practise in 2002, but Amnesty claims sentencing continues. The group has received credible reports that two people were stoned to death in May.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has ruled that treating adultery and fornication as criminal offences does not comply with international human rights standards.

“The sentence of execution by stoning for adultery breaches Iran’s commitment under article 6(2) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that death sentences will be imposed ‘only for the most serious crimes’,” Amnesty wrote in its appeal.

Under Shari’a law, a prisoner is buried up to her breast, her hands restrained. Rules also specify the size of the stones which can be thrown so that death is painful and not imminent. Both men and women can be sentenced to die by stoning. In practise, however, an overwhelming number of women receive that penalty.

But there is movement towards reform (hat tip, Isaac Schrödinger). Umar Lee, On the Issue of Stoning:

My only problem with the stoning sentences is that they are not equally prosecuted for men and women. I also think that there is room to grow in this area and use modern techniques such as lethal injection; but I do believe that death is an appropriate sentence for these kinds of crimes.

Absolutely! Lethal injection is a more humane way of executing adulterers. But the bonding that occurs when the community gets together to bludgeon to death half-buried women will be lost. It’s a tough call.

Posted on October 6th, 2006 by pwyll
Filed under: religion, slavery