If I lived in Iran, I would be executed pretty quickly. Some of the things I’ve done that are death-worthy (especially the first one):
- Enmity against God, corruption on earth, apostasy, heresy and blasphemy
- A third conviction of drinking alcohol
- Homosexuality
- Distribution of obscene/pornographic audio-visual materials
You can also be executed for:
- Adultery
- Public order crimes (stop those protests!)
- Drug possession
Why do I bring this up? Iran Solidarity, headed by the wonderful atheist activist Maryam Namazie, is protesting the execution of political prisoners in Iran.
We have all been in love, spoken our minds, joined protests, political groups and campaigns, poked fun at that which is taboo and taken a stand for what we believe in.
The only difference is – depending on where we were born – some of us don’t live to talk about it.
As you may have already heard, on 9 May 2010 four young men and one woman were executed by the Islamic Republic of Iran after being falsely accused, tortured, and charged with ‘enmity against God’ in sham trials. The executions were carried out in secret and without the knowledge of their families or lawyers. Farzad Kamangar (35 year old teacher and trade unionist), Ali Heydarian, Farhad Vakili, Shirin Alam–Houli (28 years old) and Mehdi Eslamian never even got to call their families to say goodbye.
Tragically, these executions are not new. The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the execution capitals of the world and is the only state that continues to execute minors.
From 13 May onwards join me in protest against the 9 May execution of the five political prisoners in any way you can. Protests have already been taking place in Iran and at Iranian embassies in various cities worldwide, including a successful general strike in Iranian Kurdistan on 13 May. You can join rallies taking place in your city; pass this information on; ask your friends to support the action; write letters of protest; write to the media; raise the issue at events you organise or attend and at your places of work, school and in your neighbourhoods; do acts of solidarity anywhere you can; volunteer; lend your expertise to make publicity materials, translate, fundraise… Demand the expulsion of the regime from its seat in the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women, from the International Labour Organisation and other bodies. Demand that its embassies and consulates be shut down. And call for an end to the death penalty in Iran and everywhere.
Boobquake was a lighthearted event, but there is serious turmoil going on in Iran. You can support the cause and find more information by joining the Facebook page here.
Perhaps you already know that you and Boobquake were featured on the May 13th edition of Radio Free Oz. Congrats! http://radiofreeoz.com/Public/…
I’m signed up to the cause, and I’m pleased to see it extends across the pond. Thanks for spreading the word to your many followers.
The murder of religious dissenters by the Iranian state MUST be the reason that Australia has stopped processing visas for asylum seekers. http://is.gd/c7KMzWhassamatta Prime Minister Rudd, not enough dead dissenters for you yet?
<snarky dick=”” mode=””>I support the cause and I would join the protests, but I’m only 22 and I don’t want to die.</snarky>
You’re operating under the assumption that Iran operates under any sensible rule of law. Yes you would be executed under the provisions you named, but you’d also be executed if they thought you should be executed just because. And this is the most dangerous thing of all. It’s not just that they have insane laws, it’s that the government is lawless.
You would be executed for apostasy? When were you Muslim?
I think you can only be killed for being an apostate or blasphemous if you’re actually a muslim to begin with. And only male homosexual acts are punishable by death.This might be my favorite: public order crimes such as providing improperly baked breads to strike at the regime.
Why turn dick mode off now? You’re so good at it.
For all the doubt on the first cause of execution, I’m pretty sure they’d happily tag you with ‘enmity of God’
I think I’ll just…stay in Kentucky.
I think things like Boobquake and similar “nonsense” do quite a lot actually.Satiric actions are the sharpest weapon, if you simply protest you are showing opposition, if you make your opponent an joke by using smart jokes you chip away there credibillity.Face is everything.
Let’s up the ante and combine Boobquake with Tanquake and Hairquake. The Iranian authorities have declared their intention to arrest suntanned women, so women participating in this event should have suntans, even artificial ones. Shaving body hair by both males and females is Sunna (required). However, men are required to grow beards. (Poor Rafsanjani, his Mongolian ancestry makes a beard impossible.) So, men should shave their faces and women should not shave at all. When Boob-Tan-Hairquake occurs, you can wear a green tank top (without a bra to reduce your modesty even more) and show off your tan and hairy armpits. If the mollah’s hypothesis is correct, the mother of earthquakes should strike Iran.
I’m not taking a stand on the legislation of Iran (because I haven’t got enough data), but basically, for a citizen of country Y to speculate reasons for possible execution in country X is inconsistent with theories of national independence & interference (widely acknowledged) as long as the two countries are not profoundly dependent on each others’ existence (which I believe is not the case with the USA and Iran). But if we none the less engage in this scientifically dubious venture, I might have to provide you with a few facts about the matter that you seem to have no realistic information about, only some titbits of gossip from your tree-hugging “friends”. In Iran as in everywhere you are raised in a society that observes certain prescript just like every society. To criticize a society from outside the country (especially USA, whose citizen are unfortunately as is well known disturbed constantly with national anti-muslim propaganda) IS SIMPLY IMPOSSIBLE. Get it to your head will you. Maybe that persistence on not minding you own business is something you could consider removing from your brain. RULES ARE RULES AND PEOPLE LIVE BY RULES. That’s it. If you’re not OK with it then what can I say? I can tell you to stop wasting your time.
Didn’t you hear the news? Cultural relativism is dead.
You mean those golden rules, like the rule that women couldn’t vote? That people used to be owned by their feudal lords? That those lords had right of first night at a wedding? That there were no regulations for working hours, sick pay? When something is inhumane, degrading and just plain wrong you know it. You don’t have to live in a country to know that. Standing up for other human’s is important. If you only do that for your fellow country people, what is that??? If you think you can’t say anything because it is some other country ( I guess the problem for you might be the old evil of imperialism here) forget about boundaries and think for one minute: Would you really put up with that?
“Cultural relativism is dead.” First of all, by whose standards? Secondly I wasn’t talking about cultural relativism, but realism. Different cultures are having different perceptions that contradict with each other, that is a fact. Since it is impossible in this case for one culture to assimilate to the other (and it shouldn’t) they should not bother each other until one bothers the other. That would be the realistic and natural path. But somehow America’s got it all mixed up, maybe it’s because of its arrogance, and to shake the foundations of the global equilibrium. Actually, it’s stupid enough to say “Cultural relativism is dead”, but more stupid is not to understand what impact (if totally projected on (USA’s) attitude towards the world) that phrase would have on the entire world. Which is more important: freedom of speech or avoiding WW3 and World’s Destruction?
It is irrelevant what the rules are; everyone creates his own destiny no matter what the circumstances. What is relevant is to maintain the inspection of weights and measures. And in my opinion it shouldn’t bother anyone who isn’t moved by it physically if he/she hears of incidents in another country that by his/her standards does not seem fair, and they should also have the adequate criticism for media information. With these measured it seems a better decision to let things evolve and not shake the equilibrium than to go start another Freedom War that will kill millions. I’ll rather have few dead homosexuals, thieves, orderbreakers, debauchees etc. than millions of dead civilians in Iran. It’s not like there’s a genocide going on; and face the facts: you can’t “save” the entire world, it’s impossible, so you should concentrate on your own people.
And I hope no one perceives this as discriminatory against homosexuals, thieves and orderbreakers, because it’s just a simile. I’ve noticed how many westerners are quick to take offense when someone mentions homosexuals…
Plenty of people *in* or *from Iran are critical of this stuff too, you know. There’s no cultural ignorance or imperialism in showing support for them if you agree with them. A fair amount of that stuff is contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and people from lots of cultures contributed to that.
Ucodex said:>Let things evolve and not shake the equilibrium…Of course, you wouldn’t have supported the French Revolution, if you were Louis the 16th.
/ I admire and respect your efforts, Jen! I’d probably be at risk in Iran too but that may change in the future when Mr. Ahmadine-fraud & Mr. Khamenei and the rest of the ones who need to go are gone.
/I admire and respect your efforts, Jen! Most likely I’d be at risk in Iran too but that may change in the future.
What a loaf of horse crap. People outside of a society have every right to criticize another culture, for what they perceive as inadequacies in that culture. I hate to resurrect zombie Hilter, according to your logic, since I was not a German citizen in the 1940’s, I can not objective criticize Nazi Germany for killing Jews. After all rules are rules, and at that time and place it was illegal to be a Jew. Personally, I do not live in a culture or society that legally executes homosexuals, kills rape victims or imprisons women for have a suntan. And I will say that any society that does, is morally backwards and ought to change. And I would put every pressure that I personal can to change that other culture.
Culture are heavily influenced by surrounding cultures. No one place lives in a bubble. If Iran truely lived in a bubble, it wouldn’t have computers or penicillin, or for that matter be Islamic. After all, Islam did not originate in Iran. Nor is any one culture monolithic in nature. And as Iran does influence America and the world as a whole, it makes sense that we as people on the outside of that society would support the portion of that society that we believe would help make it a better neighbor. Also assimilation is not the same as influencing. If it’s ok to spread Big Macs and penicillin around the world, then it’s ok to spread the idea that maybe you shouldn’t kill women for adultery is fair game too. Last but most importantly, screw culture and society. If I perceive that individuals are being harmed by a cultural practice, then screw that practice. It is my obligation as a human being to speak out against it.
I can’t imagine why people would think that of you ……… unless of course the people we are referring to have the cognitive ability greater than that of a turnip. Let’s reverse the situation. Let’s say, that in Western countries they decide that being Iranian or Muslim, instead of being homosexual, was worthy of capital punishment. Since Iranians and/or Muslims are a relatively small portion of the population as a whole and any attempt to chance the society runs the risk, no matter how small, of starting a civil war, killing millions, would you as an outsider speak up again this?
“All that is required for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing”
the rapes tortures and hangings done by regime are criminal theyre doing it to innocent people not criminals . anyone defending this has blood on their hands too the 5 murdered on sunday did not break the law they were teachers and human rights and social workers some people can be so selfish and uncaring shame on you all
That is a great tragedy. Inhumanity should be opposed, no matter where it occurs. Iran Press Watch (http://www.iranpresswatch.org/… has been keeping track of the Iranian Baha’is who have been facing the same tragedies.
I partake your opinions, I support anything against this brutal Islamic Republic of Iran. But be careful, don’t make atheism another religion. I know of an atheist, declared as such in his identity card, who now is an orthodox christian priest
That sentence makes as much sense as saying (to use some favorite quips), “Don’t make bald another hair color,” or “Don’t make not collecting stamps another hobby.” Atheism is by definition not a religion. It’s not going to become one.I’m not entirely sure where that statement came from, anyway. Jen wasn’t really discussing atheism in this post, was she? To bring it up seems like a bit of a non-sequitur.
Do not fret. You cannot be the enemy of someone who does not exist!
If you were forced to marry and convert then you could qualify for apostasy. This story is from Egypt: http://www.washingtontimes.com…
Actually, you can Officially(TM) become Muslim simply by saying (in front of some witnesses), “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammad is his prophet.”There, you don’t even need to be sincere. THEN, afterwards, you can just say, “That’s a bunch of bullshit! There’s no god. Mohammad was a misogynist pedophile is dead, buried, rotted and decomposed. Good riddance to his worthless fucking ass!”That last bit is what will earn you the death penalty.
I promoted this to colleagues via Maryam Namazie’s Iran Solidarity site, and thanks for your spirited efforts. I also added my bit to the Boobquake commentaries. Just found out about your site via her FB update– best wishes from a fellow academic trapped among a markedly more downmarket demographic than even Indiana’s, not-so- glamorous SoCal.
Islam is such a huge problem for the world. I hope that something is done about it in my lifetime.
there is a bigger criminal out there and that is the NAZI state of ISRAEL
Right… cause they really killed all of the last pride parade.I guess you’re Iranian. Only they can support this Ahmedinajad/Hitler and his f****king Ayatolahs