MPAC Condemns Death Sentence Against Iranian Woman, Calls for Her Immediate Release
July 6, 2010
The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) today condemned the Iranian government's decision to execute Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, a mother of two, for allegedly committing adultery.
SEE: Human Rights Activist Tries to Stop Death by Stoning for Iranian Woman (CNN)
Ashtiani was convicted of adultery in 2006 after supposedly confessing to the crime. One of her lawyers, Mohammad Mostafaei, said she only confessed after being tortured by receiving 99 lashes. She later retracted that confession and has denied wrongdoing. Article 74 of the Iranian penal code requires at least four witnesses for an adulterer to receive a stoning sentence, but there were no witnesses in Ashtiani's case. Her conviction was based not on evidence but on the determination of three out of five judges.
"This a clear travesty of justice that turns Islamic values of due process and basic standards of human decency completely on its head," said MPAC President Salam Al-Marayati. "We are calling on the Iranian government to commute her sentence and release her immediately."
MPAC has endorsed the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA), which seeks to support international programs combating physical, sexual and other forms of abuse against women. The bill will help support survivors, hold perpetrators accountable, prevent violence, increase U.S. diplomatic attention to decreasing violence against women, and incorporate best practices into U.S. foreign assistance.
Sadly, the Ashtiani case fits into a larger trend of incidents where adultery laws have been implemented in a fundamentally unjust manner that disproportionately targets women. A recent MPAC policy paper entitled "Abusing Women, Abusing Islam: Re-Examining Sharia Court Rulings in Contemporary Times" highlights how such laws misuse core Islamic precepts to permit government-sanctioned violence against women.
IN THIS SECTION
- Policy Analysis
- Statements & Press
- White House Nominates Rashad Hussain as Ambassador for Religious Freedom
- The Blackhouse Foundation and MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau held their first-ever Television Screenwriting Lab for Black Muslim Writers.
- MPAC CONGRATULATES NUSRAT JAHAN CHOUDHURY ON HISTORIC NOMINATION
- GOP Blocks Coronavirus Bill
- Protect Rights During COVID-19
- Coronavirus Joint Statement
- Senate Passes Coronavirus Relief
- Iran Sanctions In COVID-19
- Historic Senate Relief Package
- Coronavirus Stimulus Problems
- Trump Immigration Suspension is Nothing but Cynical Opportunism
- House Introduces the HEROES Act
- Joint Action to Condemn the Murder of George Floyd
- Toward Pluralism: DA Rosen Must Retract His Whistleblower Complaint
- Supporting of Attorney General Keith Ellison Leading Prosecution for Murder of George Floyd
- Trump’s Executive Order on Census Is Unconstitutional
- MPAC Stands with the NBA Players
- What Muslims Want Heading into the 2020 General Election
- Declare Rittenhouse a Terrorist
- MPAC Firmly Denounces the Failure of the Criminal Justice System for Breonna Taylor
- There Is No Place For Violence in Civil Society
- Updates
- A Win Against White Supremacy
- Mosque Safety & Security
- How We’re Confronting White Supremacy
- Our Work on the Muslim Ban
- 2020 Muslim Voter Guide
- Responding to Covid-19
- Census 2020: What You Need To Know
- Human Security During COVID-19: Our Right
- Quarantine Webinars
- Make an impact in 1, 2, 3...
- Mark Kevin Lloyd is Unfit to Serve in State Department
- SoCal Muslims Show Gratitude To Frontline Workers
- DREAMERS are here to stay!
- A Ramadan Like No Other
- Creating inclusive content for kids & families
- National Muslim Task Force Recommendations for Ramadan During This Pandemic
- Ramadan Mubarak!
- Tale of Two Futures: American Muslim Life After the Election
RELATED STORIES
-
MPAC Concerned with Inclusion of American Groups on UAE Terror List
November 19, 2014 -
Leadership Forum with American Muslim Communities
November 11, 2014 -
We're Bringing Hollywood to You
October 14, 2014 -
Supreme Court to Hear Holt v. Hobbs Religious Freedom Case
October 7, 2014
RELATED MULTIMEDIA
No documents found.
one-time or monthly donation.