Gaybutton Posted December 15, 2008 Posted December 15, 2008 Iranian to be Blinded with Acid for Doing Same to Woman TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- An Iranian woman, blinded by a jilted stalker who threw acid in her face, has persuaded a court to sentence him to be blinded with acid himself under Islamic law demanding an eye for an eye. Ameneh Bahrami refused to accept "blood money." She insisted instead that her attacker suffer a fate similar to her own "so people like him would realize they do not have the right to throw acid in girls' faces," she told the Tehran Provincial Court. Her attacker, a 27-year-old man identified in court papers as Majid, admitted throwing acid in her face in November 2004, blinding and disfiguring her. He said he loved her and insisted she loved him as well. He has until early this week to appeal the sentence. Doctors say there is no chance Bahrami will recover her vision, despite repeated operations, including medical care in Spain partially paid for by Iran's reformist former president, Mohammed Khatami, who was in power when the attack took place. Majid said he was still willing to marry Bahrami, but she ruled out the possibility and urged that he remain locked up. "I am not willing to get blood money from the defendant, who is still thinking about destroying me and wants to take my eyes out," she told the court. "How could he pretend to be in love? If they let this guy go free, he will definitely kill me." Bahrami told the court that Majid's mother had repeatedly tried to arrange a marriage between the two after Majid met Bahrami at university. She rejected the offer, not even sure at first who the suitor was. Her friends told her he was a man who had once harassed her in class, leading to an argument between them. But he refused to accept her rejection, she said, going to her workplace and threatening her. Finally, she lied and told him she had married someone else and that "it would be better all around if he would leave [her] alone." She told the court that she reported the conversation to police, saying he had threatened her with "burning for the rest of my life" -- but they said they could not act until a crime had been committed. Two days later, on November 2, 2004, as she was walking home from work, she became aware of a man following her. She slowed, then stopped to let him pass. "When the person came close, I realized that it was Majid," she said. "Everything happened in a second. He was holding a red container in his hand. He looked into my eyes for a second and threw the contents of the red container into my face." Bahrami knew exactly what was happening, she said. "At that moment, I saw in my mind the face of two sisters who years ago had the same thing happen to them. I thought, 'Oh, my God -- acid.' " Passers-by tried to wash the acid off Bahrami, then took her to Labafinejad Hospital. "They did everything possible for me," she said of the doctors and nurses there. Then, one day, they asked her to sign papers allowing them to operate on her. "I said, 'Do you want to take my eyes out?' The doctor cried and left." They did want to remove her eyes surgically, she learned, for fear they would become infected, potentially leading to a fatal infection of her brain. But she refused to allow it, both because she was not sure she could handle it psychologically, and because she thought her death would be easier for her family to bear. "If I had died, my family would probably be sad for a year and mourn my death, and then they would get used to it," she told the court. "But now every day they look at me and see that I am slowly wasting away." The three-judge panel ruled unanimously on November 26 that Majid should be blinded with acid and forced to pay compensation for the injuries to Bahrami's face, hands and body caused by the acid. That was what she had demanded earlier in the trial. But she did not ask for his face to be disfigured, as hers was. "Of course, only blind him and take his eyes, because I cannot behave the way he did and ask for acid to be thrown in his face," she said. "Because that would be [a] savage, barbaric act. Only take away his sight so that his eyes will become like mine. I am not saying this from a selfish motive. This is what society demands." Attacking women and girls by throwing acid in their faces is sufficiently common in countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia that groups have been formed to fight it. Human rights organizations have condemned the practice in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is not clear how often such attacks take place in Iran. Iran and Saudi Arabia are the only countries that consider eye-gouging to be a legitimate judicial punishment, Human Rights Watch has said. Quote
Guest Steve1903 Posted December 15, 2008 Posted December 15, 2008 "...demanding an eye for an eye..." Or in this case, two eyes for two eyes. Do I have any sympathy for the guy? Let me see now....nope, not a bit. I'd tell him to stick his appeal up his arse and let them get on with it. Quote
Guest MonkeySee Posted December 16, 2008 Posted December 16, 2008 Don't they kill homosexuals, as well? Quote
Gaybutton Posted December 16, 2008 Author Posted December 16, 2008 Don't they kill homosexuals, as well? Not according to their president. They don't have any homosexuals there, remember? Quote
Guest Steve1903 Posted December 16, 2008 Posted December 16, 2008 Yes they do. Saw a sad report, albeit some time ago, of two gay lads being hung simply for being gay. Quote
Gaybutton Posted December 17, 2008 Author Posted December 17, 2008 Yes they do. Saw a sad report, albeit some time ago, of two gay lads being hung simply for being gay. That's why they don't have any. They killed them all. Next week they start burning the books. Quote
Guest xiandarkthorne Posted December 17, 2008 Posted December 17, 2008 That's why they don't have any. They killed them all. Next week they start burning the books. That's where you're wrong. They're burning lesbians next! Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted December 18, 2008 Posted December 18, 2008 An Iranian woman, blinded by a jilted stalker who threw acid in her face, has persuaded a court to sentence him to be blinded with acid himself under Islamic law demanding an eye for an eye. I wish someone with experience of Sharia law would explain to me how an eye for an eye - or, for that matter, stoning to death - is a valid punishment in the 21st century. If it is meant to be a deterrent to such crimes happening, it does not seem to work when we hear a lot about acid attacks on women, especially in Pakistan. I'm just curious. Quote
Guest Steve1903 Posted December 18, 2008 Posted December 18, 2008 Fountainhall, you would like it in Scotland I believe. Our "government" are trying to ban courts from giving jail time to "minor" criminals or those who would get 6 months or under specifically. These in this case would include a guy who launched an unprovoked attack on a disabled guy and other such lovely socialites of the same ilk. Given a choice between the two systems I'd rather they went with the tougher options. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted December 19, 2008 Posted December 19, 2008 Don't get me wrong, I'm all for tougher options. But stoning a woman to death for adultery? Cutting the hand off a thief in public? It is the barbarity of some of the automatic penalties under Sharia law that concerns me, not the need for stiff punishments. Indeed, I wholy agree with W.S. Gilbert's comments in The Mikado - "My object all sublime I shall achieve in time - To let the punishment fit the crime." Quote
Guest xiandarkthorne Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 Dear Fountainhall, I would dearly love to see that happen...imagine, if a man were found guilty of adultery in those countries, he'd have to be f*** to death! Quote
Guest MonkeySee Posted December 23, 2008 Posted December 23, 2008 According to a newscast I saw recently, a South Korean actress, Oh So-ri was convicted of adultery and given an eight month suspended sentence. About a 1,000 South Korean a year are charged with this offense. Sure glad Thailand and the West do not have laws like this, or maybe they do and the authorities just do not enforce them. If Thailand has a law about not wearing underwear, I would think they would have an adultery law on the books. Quote
Guest xiandarkthorne Posted December 23, 2008 Posted December 23, 2008 If Thailand has a law about not wearing underwear... They don't, do they? If they did, I'd be guilty of 15 years of lawbreaking!!! I never wear underwear in Thailand. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted December 23, 2008 Posted December 23, 2008 One rule that should be strictly enforced in Thailand is women wearing tops on the beach. Of course I'm not sexist (well, just a little ) but many Thais find the sight of toples women offensive. Yet many tourists think it's their right. Tourists who not obey local laws should be subject to the same penalties as Thais. Quote
Gaybutton Posted December 23, 2008 Author Posted December 23, 2008 I never wear underwear in Thailand. You don't? Hmmmmm. What are you doing Saturday night? Quote
Guest MonkeySee Posted December 23, 2008 Posted December 23, 2008 You don't? Hmmmmm. What are you doing Saturday night? You surprise me GB! Wanting to go out with a law-breaker like "sexy grandpaw!" Quote
Guest xiandarkthorne Posted December 26, 2008 Posted December 26, 2008 You don't? Hmmmmm. What are you doing Saturday night? Sorry I didn't see your post earlier, GB. I'm flattered...will you be in Pattaya or Bangkok in April? I am going to try my darndest to come then and I really would love to meet up with you and as many of the othr members of this board as I can. What a pity I have to wear underwear in Thailand now...I suppose there's no law against wearing the briefest ones I can find, is there? And Monkey, you'd be surprised how many people are genuinely into horny, dirty-minded old farts with a penchant for wild living! Hah! Quote
Gaybutton Posted December 27, 2008 Author Posted December 27, 2008 Sorry I didn't see your post earlier, GB. I'm flattered...will you be in Pattaya or Bangkok in April? I am going to try my darndest to come then and I really would love to meet up with you Most likely I will be here, yes. I'm one of the few crazy farang who truly loves Songkran. And I really do want to meet you. With all kidding aside, I think you're one of the most interesting people ever to grace the message boards. If I miss the chance to meet you, I will consider that a true sadly lost opportunity. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted December 27, 2008 Posted December 27, 2008 If Thailand has a law about not wearing underwear... If there is no such a law, let's encourage the passage of one. Then, without underwear to hold up the pants worn over their snake-like hips, those worn by 90% of young guys would hang around their ankles! Quote
Guest xiandarkthorne Posted December 27, 2008 Posted December 27, 2008 Most likely I will be here, yes. I'm one of the few crazy farang who truly loves Songkran. And I really do want to meet you. With all kidding aside, I think you're one of the most interesting people ever to grace the message boards. If I miss the chance to meet you, I will consider that a true sadly lost opportunity. Thank you for the compliment, GB. Yes, I loooove Songkran, too. The last time I celebrated it on Phuket island, I ended up dancing naked in the streets with some American GIs and their Thai bargirl friends at 3am...if I remember right, there was a German couple filming us on their handphones, too. Luckily, there was so much powder and paste smeared on our faces and bodies, I don't think anybody was recognizable. My last client goes back to Europe around the 9th of April, so I just might be able to make it on time this year. If there is no such a law, let's encourage the passage of one. Then, without underwear to hold up the pants worn over their snake-like hips, those worn by 90% of young guys would hang around their ankles! I agree 100%! There should be a law like that about not wearing underwear! Quote
