Victim's Mother Stops Executions
It all began in Royan, Iran, when 20 year old Balai got in a street fight with 18 year old Abdollah. Balai was carrying a knife with him, and ended up stabbing, and killing, Abdollah. After going on trial, Balai was sentenced to a public hanging. It was 7 years later when the execution took place. According to tradition, the family of the victim has the right to take away the chair from which the convict stood on, leaving him hanging from a noose. As the mother of Abdollah approached Balai at the hanging, she slapped him across the face. She then tok a step back, told Balai that he was forgiven, and slipped the noose off of his neck. By forgiving this man, she saved his life, and joined the hundred of other families who are against these harsh punishments for convicted criminals.
Read the whole news story here.
Read the whole news story here.
The Price of a Phone
Almost every adult in America has one thing in common- a cell phone. It's with everyone, everywhere. Except in Iran. One woman was discovered to have owned a cell phone, and was marked as a criminal. Her punishment? Death by stoning. Arifa Bibi was placed in a large pin full of sand and rock, and was buried standing up, so only her head and neck stuck out of the ground. Her family then grabbed large stoned and hurled them at her, until she could take no more, and died.
Here is the story of the struggle for other's just like her.
Here is the story of the struggle for other's just like her.
The Dangers of the Internet
Americans pride themselves in their freedom of speech, yet they do not realize how lucky they are to have it. In Iran, one single word against your government body can land you in deep trouble. One man, Roozbeh Mirebrahimi, was kept handcuffed and blindfolded in a tiny cell barely large enough for him to fit in- for two months. He had access to the internet, and created a blog, describing the lies and unfairness of the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The government had tried to take away any internet access to the citizens, lest they find a way to criticize their leaders and spread any word to the other countries. Some citizens have found ways around the blocking, and have tried their best to get word out to other countries, a cry for help and change for their unjust government.
Read More on internet blockings in Iran
Read More on internet blockings in Iran