Execution of a teenage girl

[vincent_vega_lives]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/5217424.stm

On 15 August, 2004, Atefah Sahaaleh was hanged in a public square in the Iranian city of Neka.

Her death sentence was imposed for "crimes against chastity".

Alongside murder and drug smuggling, sex outside marriage is also a capital crime.

Soon after her release, Atefah became involved in an abusive relationship with a man three times her age.

Former revolutionary guard, 51-year-old Ali Darabi - a married man with children - raped her several times.

However, the age of sexual consent for girls under Sharia law is nine, and furthermore, rape is very hard to prove in an Iranian court.

"Men's word is accepted much more clearly and much more easily than women," according to Iranian lawyer and exile Mohammad Hoshi.

"They can say: 'You know she encouraged me' or 'She didn't wear proper dress'."

And at six o'clock on the morning of her execution he put the noose around her neck, before she was hoisted on a crane to her death.

For Atefah's father the pain of her death remains raw. "She was my love, my heart... I did everything for her, everything I could," he says.

He did not get the chance to say goodbye.

[David Dunham]

1. More fundamentalist idiocy.

[adriennui]

2. i don't believe this happened

are you implying that muslims acted like savage beasts? or that they treat women like chattel?

[Warpy]

3. This was picked up from the Sunday Mirror

a rag not well known for its veracity or its attention to backing up its stories.

The story and quotes are almost word for word.

Since Iran has a "temporary marriage" law, covering marriages that can last for less than an HOUR, it seems the Mirror might not have known or told us the whole story.

Plus, Iran has a law against executing girls under 18.

If this actually happened, the judge is going to be in some very hot water there.

Contrary to popular belief, even the repressive Farsi goverment by mullah doesn't go around murdering wayward girl children for unchastity. Even those over 18 are more likely to get a 5 year stretch in prison than hanging or stoning.

[tjwmason]

5. Actually it was a B.B.C. documentary.

I've just watched it.

Not quite the same thing as The Sunday Mirror.

No hot water for the judge either.

[Warpy]

8. The story was reported HERE

and linked to the Mirror on Monday.

[tjwmason]

11. I don't doubt that it was in the Mirror.

But given that that was your basis for claiming that it was dubious, I thought you should know that it was also (and before it was a Mirror story) a documentary made by the B.B.C.

I watched the documentary, and I've got no reason to doubt the essential facts behind it.

[Totallybushed]

4. The BBC is generally

petty reliable, wouldn't you say.

And I would some Muslims acted like savage beasts, if this is true.

[vincent_vega_lives]

6. You don't belive this happened???

What are you kidding? The BBC has some of the best reporting on the planet.

Did you READ the story? It is a documentary BY the BBC.Execution of a Teenage Girl is broadcast on Thursday 27 July, 2006, at 2100 BST on BBC Two.


The latter by the way. I suppose you havent read much about Iran or Sharia law?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4184598.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4114621.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3782793.stm

[adriennui]

9. have you ever heard of sarcasm?

this atrocity is par for the course under sharia law.

[vincent_vega_lives]

12. Yes I have

Sarcasm comes across poorly in text unless you denote it.

I apologize.

[galileo3000]

7. Peace to all affected by this story

Whether this be completely true, or bright yellow journalism, my heart rails against such ideas. I'm signing off for the day (gotta go run my miles). I will run another mile for the family and friends of this young woman. The world is angry enough and I will not add another angry voice into the mix tonight.
- Good night.

[lukasahero]

10. This is a wonderful response

Thank you. And welcome to DU. :hi:

It's very difficult right now to design the right response to such reports. Some think it is just another propaganda effort by the administration but we can't deny that women's rights in some of the ME countries is down right appalling. I know Muslims and they don't think that way. But I also know Muslims who do. Just as I know Christians and others who think that way and some who don't.

In any event, young women suffer. Perhaps the best we can do is give some quiet contemplation to the victims of such a vicious world.

[onager]

13. Another example, direct from the source.

I'm currently working in Egypt, which is under a form of Sharia law. Though not quite as strict as the law in Saudi Arabia, where I also lived for 2 years.

Here's a newspaper story from the Egyptian Gazette this week. It appeared in the "Red-Handed" column, a daily summary of crimes and bizarre deaths from around Egypt.

If you were a Grumpy Atheist like me, you might conclude this article is implying that while Islam forbids "unorthodox" sex, wife-beating is perfectly OK.

For any Professional Muslims who want to jump on me for over-generalizing: yes, I know you can point to various hadiths and Koranic references about how wonderful Islam treats women.

I'd also suggest you actually live in a strict Islamic country for a while, and observe the WIDE gulf between belief and actual practice. I'm in one of the most liberal cities in the Islamic world--Alexandria, Egypt. And I'm often amazed at how women are treated, even when they are just walking down the street minding their own business.

Or trying to do their jobs in my hotel, while several of the male staff stand around and critique their use of make-up, their weight and general appearance. I got fed up with hearing that crap one time and said: "If you talked to a woman like that in America, she'd knock out a few of your teeth." They were shocked by that idea. But they consider women working in hotels just one small step above whores, anyway. In their opinion, Egyptian women working in hotels are only looking for rich lovers or husbands. Having talked to some of the women in my hotel, I know at least one of them is working to raise two young sons. AFTER an existing husband abandoned them.

Finally, the article. The reference to "Al-Azhar" means Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the oldest Islamic university in the world. It was founded in the Seventh Century CE, not long after Islam itself was invented:

A 28-year-old housewife in Imbaba called Naema has been arrested on suspicion of the premeditated murder of her 31-year-old husband, Mohammed Mohammed, a taxi driver.

"I married the departed eight years ago. We had two children and the third is on the way. About three years ago, we started arguing when he told me he wanted 'something unorthodox' in bed," said Naema.

"I refused and he beat me up, so I went to the Advisory Department at Al-Azhar and they agreed that what my husband wanted is not permitted in Islam.

"I went home and told him that I wanted to divorce him. He beat me up again so I left and went to mum. He came around and patched things up and I returned to him. Soon, he started playing up again. I put up with it for the sake of our two children and our third child that I'm expecting.

"One evening he got home from work and I was busy cooking in the kitchen. He stole up behind me and told me he wanted it (the something unorthodox).

"I turned round and stabbed him below the belt with the knife I'd been using to cut the vegetables. To my horror, he started bleeding heavily. I ripped the sheet off the bed and wrapped it tightly around his waist to try and stem the flow. I then got the neighbors and we rushed him to Qasr Al-Ains Hospital but it was too late."

[noamnety]

15. critiques

Or trying to do their jobs in my hotel, while several of the male staff stand around and critique their use of make-up, their weight and general appearance. I got fed up with hearing that crap one time and said: "If you talked to a woman like that in America, she'd knock out a few of your teeth."

My experience has been that also in America men feel entitled to critique women's appearance, including makeup, weight, and general appearance.

Of course, my experience on DU has been that people in general feel entitled to do the same, and if you ask them to stop because it's offensive, you get personal insults hurled your way as well. And I don't think that's unique to DU in anyway - it's not intended as a slam against this forum, so much as stating that it's so incredibly prevalent in our society that even in a progressive site like this, it's overwhelming to me at times.

[Name removed]

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