Iranian woman pardons her sons killer

losthorizon

Anybody see this story - its both shocking, sad and in many ways uplifting.

Apparently its started a debate going in Iran about curtailing the use of capital punishment.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/04/17/iranian-woman-pardons-sons-killer-after-slapping-him-at-the-gallows-moments-before-his-scheduled-execution/

anncoates

Bit risky leaving the pardon so late. Imagine the car or bus broke down on the way.

Seriously though. I don't know if I could do it. She's very noble.

Stavros Murphy

If it was Ireland, yer man would sue her for assault afterwards for the face-slap, and win. I reckon every lad heading up the scaffold in Iran for the next few months will be keeping the pingies crossed, waiting for the slap -in-the-puss-of-redemption.

Muise...

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

AlanS181824

I'm not sure I'd be able to do it to be honest, she's incredibly noble.

As dramatic as the story is, and as moving as the photo of the convicts mother who had been poised to watch her son die is, the big thought in my head looking at those photos is how can the State execution of anyone be such a well attended public event like that.

I'm sure there were ghouls among those onlookers who were disappointed at the stay of execution.

Brave and noble parents though, I don't think I'd have it in me.

Stavros Murphy

Muise... wrote: »

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

I sided with Shylock.

Fr_Dougal

'rania.

sopretty

Saw it. Gracious woman.

Holsten

She saw what many of us would see, it is completely pointless to execute that man.

It's one man not executed this week yet how many others have ended up at the bottom of a noose? Or at the end of a barrel, or strapped to a gurney?

Pointless.

crazygeryy

Imagine people had that choice here in this country.

Nodin

Candie wrote: »

As dramatic as the story is, and as moving as the photo of the convicts mother who had been poised to watch her son die is, the big thought in my head looking at those photos is how can the State execution of anyone be such a well attended public event like that.

I'm sure there were ghouls among those onlookers who were disappointed at the stay of execution.

Brave and noble parents though, I don't think I'd have it in me.

I'm unaware of any state ending public executions due to lack of attendance. And that includes the death by torture/dismemberment style of killing.

bnt

He hasn't been pardoned, his sentence will probably be commuted to a jail term (TBD).

Amirani

I don't think I could not do what she did. I couldn't live with myself knowing I could've prevented another person's death, regardless of the the sort of person they were. Prison is the right place for him.

catallus

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

I sided with Shylock.

As did I. For me, the fact that after over 300 years of analysis and criticism of Shakespeare's works, after everything is ripped apart and put under a microscope, that there is still things to be found in him that resonate with readers of every passing generation.

One of the oddest things is that the readers who have lived their lives watching and reading his works point out that when you are young, his characters seem to very straight-forward and clear-cut; but as one ages one's reading of this changes. His good guys seem to be less good, his bad-guys seem to be less bad. There's a grey area there, which the older critics say is especially true of his Histories.

Anyway, I remember reading the Not Strained speech and wondering why anyone would put any trust in what Portia was saying when she was going to great lengths to undermine the law against an underdog.

As for the thread topic, I always knew those Iranians were soft in the middle. Where oh where can one find true justice?!

sopretty

Women are merciful.

Muise...

sopretty wrote: »

Women are merciful.

Ming is merciless.

Micky Dolenz

Bet it's not as noble as it seems.

Hosseinzadeh’s family had come under calls by famous artists, soccer coaches and town residents to pardon Bilal and accept blood money instead of execution, a provision allowed to victim’s families under Iranian law.

Blood money can buy a lot of forgiveness, it seems.

jellyboy

I understand completely where that woman is at (or was)

my understanding is that We are talking about the forgiveness and the freeing of the self

to the posters who say they can't or wouldn't be able to do as she does
i say you can

I did

Here is my story

http://theforgivenessproject.com/stories/dave-dineen/

Custardpi

Candie wrote: »

As dramatic as the story is, and as moving as the photo of the convicts mother who had been poised to watch her son die is, the big thought in my head looking at those photos is how can the State execution of anyone be such a well attended public event like that.

I'd be opposed to the use of capital punishment in pretty much all circumstances but I think if a society is going to have it at all I'd prefer it to be out in the open. Regardless of what crime has been committed an execution involves the state taking a completely defenceless person & putting them to death in cold blood. This is done on behalf of the populace as a means of dispensing justice. Justice, if it is to have any real meaning, must be seen to be done. Hiding such acts away, or worse reducing it to a medical procedure as the US does is to my mind deeply hypocritical & cowardly. You're murdering someone, not removing their tonsils.

For all its' many flaws the conservative Islamic system obliges people to face the reality of capital punishment head on instead of hiding it away. It's brutal, but also more honourable. Hopefully if reform of the system comes it will involve not the sterilisation of killing à la the US but the complete elimination of capital punishment.

Stavros Murphy

catallus wrote: »

As did I. For me, the fact that after over 300 years of analysis and criticism of Shakespeare's works, after everything is ripped apart and put under a microscope, that there is still things to be found in him that resonate with readers of every passing generation.

One of the oddest things is that the readers who have lived their lives watching and reading his works point out that when you are young, his characters seem to very straight-forward and clear-cut; but as one ages one's reading of this changes. His good guys seem to be less good, his bad-guys seem to be less bad. There's a grey area there, which the older critics say is especially true of his Histories.

Anyway, I remember reading the Not Strained speech and wondering why anyone would put any trust in what Portia was saying when she was going to great lengths to undermine the law against an underdog.

As for the thread topic, I always knew those Iranians were soft in the middle. Where oh where can one find true justice?!

I saw it played at Stratford - I think Antony Sher had the role of Shylock- and reckoned he was robbed. Of all the Shakespearean material crammed into my noggin, TMOV was the only one I actually enjoyed studying and bothered remembering. And I reckon Iran-boy was steeped. I'd have kicked the chair away..probably.

upstairs for coffee

sopretty wrote: »

Women are merciful.

Ah come on!

Did you read the article at all? The article implies they got money in exchange for their forgiveness and also that the mother only forgave because of a dream and the pressure of the media.

Mercy isn't showing forgiveness in exchange for commodities.

Graces7

jellyboy wrote: »

I understand completely where that woman is at (or was)

my understanding is that We are talking about the forgiveness and the freeing of the self

to the posters who say they can't or wouldn't be able to do as she does
i say you can

I did

Here is my story

http://theforgivenessproject.com/stories/dave-dineen/

forgiving is the only way to peace and wholeness. learned that many years ago when someone in a position of great power and responsibilty was systematically working to destroy me.
one day she was passing my house as i was bringing in fuel, and a huge surge of acid filled my stomach..realised suddenly that she hated me so much she was suffering.

in that moment i learned to forgive.

did not stop her aggression but it freed me to combat it without terror and anger. in peace.

have been abused most of my life but have learned not to render evil for evil. does not stop you remembering either.

my take is that if someone pushes me off a bridge, i may well forgive them while i am recovering in hospital, but there is no way i will ever walk on a bridge with them again.


it is a choice and yes what this woman did has freed her. takes will and work but so worth it for the freedom it brings; not to be prisoner to the evil committed by someone else.

Graces7

upstairs for coffee wrote: »

Ah come on!

Did you read the article at all? The article implies they got money in exchange for their forgiveness and also that the mother only forgave because of a dream and the pressure of the media.

Mercy isn't showing forgiveness in exchange for commodities.

why not. it is mercy still....comes from within not outside and maybe you are not aware of the exigencies of poverty, cushioned as we are here in ireland...implies indeed; some sick folk are so cynical and seek to destroy goodness.

Nodin

upstairs for coffee wrote: »

Ah come on!

Did you read the article at all? The article implies they got money in exchange for their forgiveness and also that the mother only forgave because of a dream and the pressure of the media.

Mercy isn't showing forgiveness in exchange for commodities.

The choice is between death and receiving compensation. Afaik she can't just let him walk.

BlueJohn

I would of let him hang.

BuilderPlumber

Last year, Iran elected a new, moderate government. Now, a lot of rubbish is left in the system there because of the weak leadership of elderly priests like Ayatollah Khomeini (whose poor leadership at a crucial point in 1980 changed Iran's systems and relations with the world for the worse) and corrupt self interested politicians who took advantage of this weak leadership. It will take years to get rid of a lot of the repressive, tribal laws enforced on the people by a poorly educated peasant paramilitary army styled Revolutionary Guards that came into power because Khomeini was so weak and because Khamenei would do deals with anyone to remain in power. Saddam's invasion of Iran in 1980 as well legitimised the RGs power grab and was a gift on a plate for them to take complete control. I often wonder how things would have panned out for Iran if the Iran-Iraq war did not happen. I'd say a more moderate regime would have come about a lot earlier.

The above case explores all that is wrong with Iranian law. Now, this man who the woman pardons was no angel and was guilty. He does deserve whatever he gets coming to him. BUT much worse people have gotten away with crimes in Iran and other places like Saudi Arabia (the regime Iran's 1979 Revolutionary Guards regime copied) simply because they are ... rich! Blood money talks. Many members of the revolutionary guards regime of course have killed innocent people down the years and have gotten away with it despite attempted by the elected Iranian governments to bring them to justice. Indeed, many unelected revolutionary guards dictators have done awful acts to undermine moderate governments in Iran from 1979-1981, 1989-2005 and indeed today's Hassan Rouhani administration. Such acts as forcing a whole government to resign, impeaching a moderate president, isolating another moderate president and even killing a president and prime minister have all been done.

The debate on capital punishment in Iran is part of a debate on the direction the country should take and part of a process of moderation that is being attempted there since last summer's election of a moderate.

What seems sick is that it is called an 'execution ceremony'. In a country that bans alcohol for the poor (the rich and connected do drink and the very priests who ban it do as well incl. Khomeini, Khamenei, and especially Rafsanjani) and has no pubs bar an isolated few tucked away in posh hotels for the elite, going to see an execution is their equivalent of watching Love/Hate or Breaking Bad in a pub. Watching someone die for real is hardly enjoyable and making it a big social event is horrid. Even if it was for the worst criminal in the country (who anyway is probably high up in the fascist revolutionary guards thus untouchable).