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of Shahrzad
Part 15
By Eric J. Jerpe
June 7, 2004
iranian.com
Gasps from the listeners prompted Anaheita to pause
for a few moments. Once the implications of a definite frame-up
had registered in their minds, Anaheita continued.
"In fear and submission, I protested: 'This cannot
be. These photographs are forgeries. A photography expert could
analyze them
and testify so.'
"'So then,' snarled the warden. 'You will not sign?'
"'I-I-I can't,' I meekly responded. Quite honestly,
I was not thinking of myself; I was thinking of Shahrzad, who
was obviously the target of a conspiracy. My confession could
be used by the prosecution to falsely convict Shahrzad of the
crime of pornography.
"'
In that case,' said the warden, 'your release is rescinded.
After review, your sentence is now changed to death by stoning.' "I was speechless. It now dawned on me that the
warden was behind this planting of false evidence. I was her means
to get at the
angelic one she was determined to destroy.
"The warden motioned to one of the guards. He in
response clicked on the television set and placed a VCR tape in
it. He hit the
play button, and the tape began.
"'
This is how we eliminate corruption in our society!' shouted
the warden.
"I trembled as I watched the tape, which initially
had no accompanying sound. It showed an attractive woman, about
thirty years of
age, being led by men and women guards to a site somewhere
in the
desert. The men started digging a hole in the ground. When
the hole was
deep enough, the terrified woman was forced into it. The
men began burying her in the newly-dug hole.
"'Two years ago in Iran,' the warden informed, 'we
showed some mercy to this woman guilty of appearing in a pornographic
movie. We buried her only up to her armpits. We won't show
that consideration to you. We'll bury you up to your neck.'
"The captors, each man and each woman among them,
picked up a lethal stone. Watching the soundless tape, it was obvious
that the woman
was screaming to high heaven. But to no avail. The first stone
was thrown with significant force. Despite the woman's efforts
to protect her face with her arms, the stone hit the woman in
the head. A second stone was thrown, a third stone, and then the
sound
commenced just at the moment the fourth stone smacked into her
face.
"I couldn't watch and I couldn't turn away. Stone
after stone smashed into the woman. Eventually, her arms were broken,
and even their meager defense against the onslaught was nullified.
Her cries turned into death knells. Again and again, the helpless
victim was struck by deadly missiles thrown by men and women
both.
Close-ups were shown of the horrible effects of their assault:
her once-pretty face pummeled to a hideous pulp of bloodied flesh.
"'This is what will happen to you, whore,' declared
the warden, 'because you refuse to cooperate.'
I am going to die a horrible death! I thought.
"Unable to take any more, I screamed, 'I will sign!
I will sign!'" Roxana interrupted the storytelling, shouting forcefully,
"Did you betray her? Did you betray her?"
Tears again came to Anaheita's eyes as she crumpled
in posture. In a despairing voice, she answered, "I did! I did!
And I'm
going to burn in Hell for it!" Romeen's sister nudged her sister-in-law and said,
"Calm down, Roxana. Let her finish."
After a minute or so for regaining composure, Anaheita resumed.
"I hesitated as I thought of what would happen to
the Mystic Woman, but I did sign, without even asking for freedom
in return. A male guard handed
all three signed legal documents to the warden. She looked them over, nodded
her
head in approval, then said to the guard, 'Take her to her cell. Collect
her belongings, give them to her and set her free.'
"As I was being led away, the warden declared, 'She is to remain
silent. If she speaks to anyone, look her up in solitary confinement. Her release
will be rescinded.'
"I could hardly walk as I was being returned to
my cell. Not only did I say nothing to my prison companions, I
avoided even looking at them. I gathered
up my meager possessions and, carrying them in a sack, exited the place of
my confinement for the previous year. On the way out, I saw Shahrzad.
I could
not refrain from staring at her for a few moments; she stared at me in response.
What she gleaned from my facial expression I do not know, but her countenance
seemed to be silently saying to me, 'It is all right, Anaheita. I understand.'
For a moment, I wondered if maybe she was indeed an Angel from Heaven. No human
being
could possibly be of such goodness, even though equal measures of evil definitely
did exist in others.
"Outside the prison walls, four of the male guards,
each standing next to his respective automobile, offered to put
me up for the night. I thought,
Maybe I'll be able to prostitute myself out of this country. But I did
not detest any of the four males as much as I detested myself. I said to all
of them, 'Will any among you take me to the Fire Temple and leave me there?'
One man raised his hand and said yes; a second man did likewise, then a third
and
then the fourth. I walked over to the first man who had assented to my request
and got into his car. He drove me to the Fire Temple.
"The man left me off at the Fire Temple, giving
me a phone number and offering assistance to get me out of the
country. He said good-bye and drove off. I entered
this building. I met with the magi, and was granted shelter. I've been
here since yesterday, praying to a God who looks down upon me with contempt."
So closed The Bellydancer's Tale.
Looking directly at Anaheita, Porzand solemnized,
"May you be judged by God, but not by other people."
More concerned with the present situation, Romeen
informed, "Right now we are trying to have Shahrzad set free.
We will know this evening if we
have succeeded."
Romeen explained the details of Judge Sharifi's efforts to appeal the Mystic
Woman's sentence, after which Romeen's sister hinted to Anaheita
that maybe they could help her, too.
"Come with us for now," offered Shahrzad, "We can drive you to
your relatives in Isfahan."
Anaheita tearfully accepted, at the same time pledging
not be a burden to her benefactors. Porzand brought out some tea
and bread. They partook of the refreshments
and talked awhile longer, until Romeen announced it was time to head out for
the Magistrate's building and meet up with his father. Anaheita expressed
her gratitude to Porzand for having sheltered her for the night. She bade farewell
to the clergyman, then departed the Fire Temple with the Sharifis.
They drove across town to the hotel. Along the way,
Anaheita mentioned something she had heard from the Angelic Woman:
"Shahrzad said she came from
beyond the Bridge of Chinvat, and her fate was linked to the fate of Iran."
Romeen and Roxana left Shahrzad and Anaheita
in one of the hotel rooms they were renting, and set off for the
Magistrate's building.
The young couple arrived at the courthouse a few
minutes before the Sheduled rendezvous with Romeen's father. Romeen
parked the car, and they awaited
the arrival of the good judge.
Amir Sharifi came out of the courthouse with briefcase
in hand and somber look upon his face. He came to the car with
its back door already opened for him.
He seated himself in the back, closed the door, and greeted his son and daughter-in-law,
who were seated up front and looking back at him in eager expectation of consequential
news. Amir waited a few moments, then reported on the status of the Mystic
Woman's case.
"I am very sorry, but the appeal was rejected."
"But why?" bewailed Roxana. "Five months for such
trivial offenses!"
"She has been charged with something additional,"
responded Amir, "something more serious."
"Pornography?" pressed Romeen.
"Yes," replied Amir, surprised over his son's awareness
of the situation. "The new charge was introduced quite suddenly,
as if devised on the spot to deliberately
block the appeal. She has already been convicted and sentenced."
"What is the sentence?" asked Roxana with apprehension
in her voice.
Amir looked at Romeen, then looked at Roxana, and
then replied, "She is to be executed atop one of Yazd's twin Towers
of Silence, buried neck deep
in the pit of vultures and stoned to death."
"Oh! No!" moaned Roxana. She burst into tears and
leaned her head for comfort upon the shoulder of her husband, who
gently folded his arm around her.
"Is there hope for Shahrzad?" asked Romeen.
"Is there hope for Iran?" wondered Amir. >>> Previois
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