Patriarchial Justice

Today I would like to share some classic humor on a very grim subject. It came to mind when I read about the nine stoning deaths currently scheduled to take place in Iran. AT LEAST EIGHT WOMEN AND ONE MAN ARE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY STONING IN IRAN. The group, convicted of adultery and sex offences, could be executed at any time, lawyers defending them say. The lawyers have called on the head of Iran's judiciary to prevent the sentences from being carried out....The eight women sentenced, whose ages range from 27 to 43, had convictions including prostitution, incest and adultery, Reuters news agency reported. ....In theory the penalty of stoning to death applies to both men and women. But the lawyers say that in practice, many more women than men receive the sentence because they are less well educated and often poorly represented in court. Human rights group Amnesty International earlier this year called on Iran to abolish "this grotesque punishment" and said many facing execution by stoning were sentenced after unfair trials. Under Iran's strict penal code, men convicted of adultery should be buried up to their waists and women up to their chests for stoning. The stones used should not be large enough to kill the person immediately. A Mother Seeking Justice: The Wild Hunt blog offers a detailed post today on the story of a mother investigating the death of her son, a Pagan American soldier, who was serving in Iraq. It is a wonderful piece of reporting by and for the Earthwise community, and I would recommend it to you.To close, I would like to quote Jason's beautiful words about the death of Sgt. Joseph A. Ford. This is the hope which many of us have for those who are lost, those who grieve and those who seek justice:May Ford rest with his gods and ancestors,may his sacrifice be honored,and may his family find the closure and justiceneeded to move forward.Sia Related ArticlesAfrica's Last and Least: Cultural Expectations Ensure Women Are Hit Hardest by Burgeoning Food Crisis. - My thanks go out to Hecate for pointing me to the above article.You might also wish to read Aligning with Patriarchy - This come from the Raven Street blog, a blog "scrutinizing marriage, parenthood and organized religion". The writer has recently posted a beautiful tribute to her brother, Henry, who, it seems, was one of the good guys. After reading this, you'll wish that you had known him. My thoughts today are with her and their family. Related Videos: John Cleese On Religion And The Life of Brian Warning: Explicit Violence - Teenage Girl Stoned to Death (CNN) Sia@FullCircle