Iran’s practice of death by stoning is primitive and shocking

Posted on August 8, 2010
Filed Under Blogging, Religion | Leave a Comment

Sometimes we don’t realise how fortunate we are living in our country that has democracy as its backbone. Think of being born as a woman in a country like Iran. Sample the case of 43-year-old Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani. She was earlier this month convicted of adultery and was to be stoned to death.

She had already been punished with flogging for an “illicit relationship”. Thanks to those rights organisations that campaigned against her stoning. The Iranian Government has withdrawn that punishment but might execute Ashtiani by hanging. Embarassed over the international attention, the government there now has accused Ashtiani of conspiracy to murder her husband, in addition to adultery.

Iran’s Penal Code dictates that the “stones have to be large enough to cause pain but not too large to kill the victim straight away”. Article 102 of the Penal code says that men should be buried up to their waists and women up to their breasts for execution by stoning. This horrific style of execution is usually carried out for acts such as adultery which is a criminal offence in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Well, least is we could hope the laws associated with stoning can be repealed. It sure might take longer time. Why even Great Britain had a law till 1967 that made illegal for women to “cause a nuisance with abusive or argumentative language”. It was a law passed in 1585.

Such cases of Ashtiani are extremely saddening and only inform us the need to campaign and pray for such people. How wonderful it would be to see the seeds of Gospel being planted in these Islamic countries that could see stupendous transformation. Remember the story of an adulteress women being stoned and Jesus was questioned on the action? Jesus challenges those who would stone the woman. He challenged their qualifications for stoning the woman; after all, they are not free of sin. But there is one great admonition that we Christians sometimes forget while reading that story. After the accusers had fled, Jesus tells the woman: “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” As Christians sometimes we take the grace and mercy of God for granted. It is so convenient to sin because our God is a forgiving God. Yes, for sure the adulteress woman was forgiven but Jesus ends his statement with a word of caution. “Sin no more”. It is a great challenge to follow that, but those who obey the Lord only receive “life” and not “death”. I love the word ‘grace’ and often misuse its purpose. That word is of use only if our conscious side acts and “sin no more”. Let me end with this beautiful verse. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Adios ~

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