The court-ordered retribution against a man who answered unrequited loved with an acid bath is being hailed at once as "cruel and inhumane," by some parties, and fair and just by others.
Ameneh Bahrami, an Iranian woman, was left horribly scarred and blinded in 2004 when Majid Movahedi poured sulfuric acid over her head and face. He reacted in violence when she spurned his many marriage proposals. He turned himself in two weeks later and was subsequently tried and convicted in a court in Teheran. In Movahedi's sentencing an arcane provision of Sharia Law was enacted in which certain "eye for an eye" retributions are allowed. And Movahedi's punishment would be to have the woman, whom he had disfigured years earlier, pour acid over his head and face as well.
Ms Bahrami was looking forward to her day of comeuppance, but she worried that she would get acid on her hands as she doused her attacker. She had arranged for a doctor to do the actual pouring. She felt that she had been justly vindicated and insisted that "the verdict was completely legal." But as the date neared, outcries of "cruel and unusual," and "torture" were heard from human rights organizations such as Amnesty International. Iranian authorities then postponed the action. Amnesty International released a statement saying "The Iranian officials have a responsibility under international law to ensure that it is not carried out."
This case is of interest for a couple of reasons. First: In most cases, but not all, under Sharia Law when there has been an offense between the sexes, the punishment falls upon the head of the woman. Second: It is difficult to know exactly where to stand. Is this "eye for an eye" retribution sufficient deterrent against the thousands of misogynistic acts by men in Middle Eastern countries, where "honor killings" are not uncommon, and women are "beaten for their own good?"
The United Nations can only estimate the number of Islamic "honor killings" which occur every year. It is in the thousands, with the majority of the victims being women. And they are not limited to Middle Eastern or Muslim majority countries.
The honor killing in Arizona of a young woman was carried out by her Iraqi immigrant father. He justified the murder with the claim that his daughter was becoming too "westernized." He killed her by running her over with his car, and then backing over her again. In court he purported that "he just wanted to frighten her."
Article comments
1 - John Frantum
I'm afraid that there is little hope for change in the near future for those who ascribe to the "religion of peace."
While many of the teachings in the Qu'ran are molded from the Hebrew Bible, they have been perverted, and taken so far out of context that any sembelance of intended consequence is lost.
In the case of the woman blinded by acid, it would a just punishment for the man to spend the rest of his days jailed with hard labor, the proceeds of which to go directly to the support of his victim.
Sharia law is something that will likely be around for long time, with very little hope of change through western influence.
2 - Marjorie Haun
That is the hard truth. We hate to believe that there are ideologies which encourage the worst aspects of human nature. But there are, and they hate America.
3 - Morgan
eye for an eye? If we lived by that rule there are lots of people who would be suffering for their mistakes in the past. I feel sorry for the woman who experienced this and for the man who did it to her. There should be a proper justice for this woman. But eye for an eye is not the solution for this.