bahrami.jpg

Ameneh Bahrami

Eye for an eye

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Ameneh Bahrami is certain that one day she'll meet someone, fall in love and get married. But when her wedding day comes, her husband won't see her eyes, and she won't see her husband. Bahrami is blind, the victim of an acid attack by a spurned suitor. Ameneh Bahrami said her attacker pestered her with marriage demands. If she gets her way, her attacker will suffer the same fate. The 31-year-old Iranian is demanding the ancient punishment of "an eye for an eye," and, in accordance with Islamic law, she wants to blind Majid Movahedi, the man who blinded her. "I don't want to blind him for revenge," Bahrami said in her parents' Tehran apartment. "I'm doing this to prevent it from happening to someone else." Bahrami says she first crossed paths with Movahedi in 2002, when they attended the same university >>>

19-Feb-2009
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Justice?

by DM (not verified) on

While I do not agree that a victim should choose the punishment of the perpetrator, I believe her choice is a good one in this case. It is measured and deserved. She is not asking for him to be castrated, drawn and quartered. She is asking that he be 'educated' in a very real way. Perhaps by example, he can educate others.

I am a Christian, born and raised in the United States. I do not see Muslims as cretins, or barbaric. They are people. Like Christians, mostly good.

My dad told me when I was growing up, "If you have a neighbor who's dog continually barks, shoot your neighbor. The dog will figure it out."

Maybe others will figure some things out because of this.


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To those of you guys who

by Anonymous on

To those of you guys who think exacting revenge on majid would not serve the real justice, or that it will only last a short while and then in the long run will be on no advantage, i say please think again. Certain actions and events can not be and should not be Judged based on what the statistics have to offer! Ameneh could care less about numbers, knowing this animal is out there living his life to the fullest, and any ounce of regret and remorse that he may have will be history and forgotten after some time has gone by and he starts a new life. What about ameneh? what does she have to look forward to?
I guess she could count on that Diyeh money to star a new life ha? Does any one sincerely believe that money buys any damn thing in iran for anybody, especially for someone who has lost her precious eyesight?

Let us not worry about how he will be a burden on the society or his own family and let us deal with the problem. In situations such as this one, Lines such as "there is no use crying over spilled milk" and "this is no intelligent way of life", have no place or meaning. Why all of a sudden "intelligence" becomes significant, Now that the damage has been done?? Looking ahead with optimism???Please. About what?

I , for one think that an eye for an eye thing is THE right way to go about this, regardless of all the philosophizing that goes on, on the side.


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Dear Shazdeh, many years in

by Fatollah (not verified) on

Dear Shazdeh, many years in prison, you say! They don't have money to operate prisons. Shahroudi sends this "bakhs-nameh" after another asking the judges to find ways not to use prison sentences, he doesn't say executions nor mediation in between! You get the picture now!? :-)


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one mans blindness will save 100s of eyes in future

by King David (not verified) on

other guys will not throw acid again knowing they will be subjected to same

this is not Vengeance , because ;

she didnt ask acid to be used on him

she didnt ask any damage done to his face

she didnt ask to have him burned and cause pain to him

even though she subjected to all of above

she asked eyes to be removed surgicaly in hospital

if you think this is barberic , life sentence is barbaric too , its like animal in cage with no hope of coming out ever , looking at cells wall all your life ..


Iranyvaliazad

Hate only promotes hate

by Iranyvaliazad on

Barbaric laws of islam, in particular, the "gessas" makes a criminal out of victims themselves.  I was very much saddened when I read her story a while back and I hope she finds peace in her heart in one way or another.  Meanwhile, if "revenge" was a good solution then we should not see any murders in Iran since moslem clerics have executed thousands upon thousands of people both political prisoners and criminals as well.  Criminals are hung by pulling a chair from under them by victims' relatives.  So, I ask you, has murder rate in Iran stopped or even reduced since these barbaric moslem clerics occupied the land?!  No it has not. Education in long term is the solution, teaching children from young age that they are equal and teach them respect for opposite gender, opposite to what Qoran teaches.   Segregation of genders does increase criminal acts against women particularly in a society where females are not considered a FULL human being.In this case, I think the best solution would be to put the aggressor behind bars forever so at least he won't be able to hurt anyone else.  and during his lifetime he needs to work and every Rial earned must go toward this young lady's medical or other bills.

CNN report: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rlPK7fOTQ


Shazde Asdola Mirza

an-eye-for-an-eye makes the whole world blind

by Shazde Asdola Mirza on

Many years in jail, will give him time to live with his crime. Perhaps he can emerge a better person, still able to make up for his terrible sin, to her and to the society.


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consequences

by Ajam (not verified) on

KN, finding the perpetrator of a crime of passion is not that difficult, especially this kind of obvious crime in which all the fingers point to the jealous lover. And these acts (acid attacks) are not committed out of a spontaneous rage but rather calculated measures and intricate planning -- for no one walks around with a jar of acid in their pocket while intercepting an ex-lover on her way home/to work by accident. Moreover, such attacks are done as an alternative to murder -- meaning that the perpetrators are capable of making the discerning choice between murder and acid attack. Hence they opt for denying the victims the chance of ever sharing their lives with anyone else while avoiding the hassle of dealing with murder. On the issue of deterrence, I'd say YES, having to deal with maximum punishment will work as a deterrent for these calculating minds!


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p.s. women = badbakht anywhere in the world.

by hope-Anonymous (not verified) on

p.s. women = badbakht anywhere in the world??

I think that in this type of case, even a man would be badbakht!


I Have a Crush on Alex Trebek

Good for her

by I Have a Crush on Alex Trebek on

I wonder if any man is "man enough" to love her for the person who is in her heart? I don't know her, but she sounds very sweet and has the eyes of an angel. 

I hope she finds love and her dreams come true despite what this savage did to her.

p.s. women = badbakht anywhere in the world.


Kaveh Nouraee

Sosad

by Kaveh Nouraee on

Upon conviction he should be executed.


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A muslim man who founded

by sosad (not verified) on

A muslim man who founded "Bridges TV" in 2004 to portray Muslims in a more positive light has apparently beheaded his wife after she filed for divorce.

Authorities say Aasiya Hassan recently had filed for divorce from her husband.

I guess the order of protection was too little, too late.

With generous contributions from American Muslims, Bridges TV was able to give that community a voice of its own, broadcasting nationwide from Buffalo, New York.

Anyway, there's nothing like a headless wife to say, "let's build bridges of understanding, America!"

What should the father and mother this girl do?

Behead the husband??


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What a shame for Iran: It is

by Fatollah (not verified) on

What a shame for Iran:
It is not as black and white as you portray!!!
In a car accident, if you happen to run over someone unintentionally in sober state of mind resulting in death of that person, it will cost you a lot of money and a year in prison depending on whether the victim's family is willing to accept "blood money" and the size of the amount will matter!!! Again it will also depend on how much you have (fortune that is!) and how the limitation for "Diy-e" is set!

"Diy-e" is set to 18-25 million toman (roughly $20-25 thousand) in this case unintentional "Gatl-e shebh-e amd"! If the victim's family happens to be influential and rich seeking revenge then the mentioned above amount of "Diy-e" will not do you any good! You will spend several years in prison!

Then try to imagine the scenario; the driver was drunk when he ran over the poor guy and killed him ... then what?

Let's be frank, this is IR, you can run over some poor bastard killing him instantaneously and get a way with it if you have money and the right connections!

Derakhshandeh:
I totally agree with you on this particular issue.
I wish this young woman all the luck and may all of her wishes come true.

Paymaneh Amiri
I have strong sympathies for your noble ideas! but, in this case I disagree, IR is also busey in staying in power! They don't care about the common man and women, in fact the IR system breath injustice!

Look how they treat their weakest citizens and I am not talking about women.

************

Note: There are aslo laws which prohibits you from injuring/beating him up a thief whom has payed you a visit inside your home in IR! While in Southern states in US some would announce with a sign "Dog pluss an image of a shutgun" in front of their real estate "trespasser not welcome"! I also think that US and Iran actually have some similarities, the laws protect only the strong!


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would be impossible to feel what she feels.

by hope-Anonymous (not verified) on

It's very difficult or even impossible to feel what she feels. For one day close your eyes and try to perform your daily activities. Can you handle it? how would you feel? then judge.
She has lost her happiness, her balance "emotionally, socially" for the rest of her life.

He made her blind. One soultion would be to take his eyes and give them to her, if it was possible.

Or he should dedicate his entire life to act and do whatever her eyes could do for her, 24 hours as long as she lives.


Kaveh Nouraee

hp/Ajam

by Kaveh Nouraee on

hp: The death penalty may not be effective as a deterrent for others, but do you think it's appropriate for premeditated murder as a punishment for crime?

Ajam: Do you think that anyone who commits such a heinous crime believes he or she would get caught or is otherwise contemplating the consequences while in the act?

I still can't figure out what's the best course of action here, but this is certainly a thought-provoking topic.


MiNeum71

Dear Payam S, Great Quotation

by MiNeum71 on

I know that Americans (majority) love "An Eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth", think severe punishment and death penalty work and would never refrain from penalizing, but don´t learn that the statistics only prove the opposite.

But: This barbarous treating of people doesn´t help improving a society. I understand her ten minutes long feelings of sweet justice but that should not be the advantage she should/could take of that situation; and seeking bloody revenche is not a quite intelligent way of life.

I know it´s all very well to say that, but here´s no use crying over spilt milk, and she must go on with her life anyway. With the blood money she hurts and breaks him and his family more, AND she can look ahead with more optimism.

I wish her all best for her life.

 


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Deterrence

by Ajam (not verified) on

Dear Derakhshandeh, as I said before, I don't believe that, without eliminating the underlying causes such as poverty and deprivation, deterrence can work in preventing crimes and social vices such as theft, murder or even prostitution and drug trafficking... No matter how much a prostitute is flogged or a thief is caught and dismembered, a hungry person would do whatever he/she can to survive (be it losing fingers)!

However, this particular crime (acid attack) is a selfish crime committed by selfish, narcissistic individuals (who mostly come from comfortable backgrounds). If they know that such attacks will ruin their own lives, they'll definitely have second thoughts before heading to the local pharmacy!


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An eye for an eye!

by Payam S (not verified) on

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

-Mahatma Gandhi


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Derakhsahan: Most of these

by hp (not verified) on

Derakhsahan: Most of these types of acts are called "crimes of passion". When you're enraged with jealousy and anger, you don't think about the consequences.

Studies have shown that the death penalty doesn't reduce number of murders or lowers crime rates.

"Criminologists' Views on Deterrence and the Death Penalty

A survey of experts from the American Society of Criminology, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the Law and Society Association showed that the overwhelming majority did not believe that the death penalty is a proven deterrent to homicide.

Over 80% believe the existing research fails to support a deterrence justification for the death penalty.

//www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/facts-about-deterr...

Death penalty and acid throwing are not exactly the same but I think you would get the same result if you did a study on acid throwing as a punishment.


Kaveh Nouraee

Derakhshandeh

by Kaveh Nouraee on

Is pouring acid into this guy's eyes really justice? Justice for whom? This poor woman? I can't begin to imagine what she must be feeling. Part of me sees it as justice, and part of me sees it as revenge. I can't explain why.

(And that bugs the hell out of me, to be honest with you.)

I put this in the perspective you're talking about, concerning how some men treat women in Iran, but have come no closer to an answer. Do you think pouring acid into this prick's eyes would honestly deter other degenerates from mistreating or harming women? I have my doubts. I honestly just don't know. I don't believe that one person's punishment necessarily deters others from committing the same crime, nor do I believe in "rehabilitation" for violent felons.

I see it as a lose-lose situation because in the end, this poor woman will still be blinded and disfigured for life, and so will this bastard, who will end up being dependent on family members or the government for the rest of his life, taking up space in prison at everyone else's expense.

Even though she wouldn't benefit from getting his corneas, what do you think about someone else benefitting from them? Just curious.


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Ajam

by Derakhshandeh (not verified) on

It is interesting you brought up Dariush's incident back in 70s. In fact when I first heard this story last night I was saying this is so much BS how many times do we have to witness this s**t? I'm getting sick of it. Perhaps this is a way to put a stop to it. This is the first time this kind of punishment is going to take place for throwing acid, isn't it?

So let's bring this to the forefront and make an example out of it for deterence. Again especially for a guy who is not even sorry.

Put both pictures of her for a better perspective. The picture below:

//i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/WORLD/meast/02/1...


Princess

Nouraee

by Princess on

I understood what you were trying to suggest, and in principle I am with you, but not even in my wildest dreams would it have occured to me to suggest donating somebody else's organs for transplantation. You just took me by surprise, yet again! These are the things we read about in China, not on own Iranian.com :)

It's all good. I agree with you, it's a lose-lose situation, and if there is a way to get something positive out of it, it would be great.


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Kaveh

by Derakhshandeh (not verified) on

You keep calling this revenge and I don't see it as revenge. Is justice revenge? Forget Iran, let's say American justice system is a good system and serves justice. Now in this system is justice revenge? If it is then what's the difference and if it isn't then what is it?

It is better not to make boxes that is hard to get out of. So don't call it revenge.

If taking out this guy's eyes and giving it to her would work then sure let's do it. But that is not going to happen and it isn't an option.

It isn't a lose-lose situation. This is not a he said she said thing. Others like us can debate it and other criminals can learn their lessons.

What is to be gained? What can be gained? Again put this in the perspective of how some men treat women in Iran under the law and try to relate that injustice to this case. I wouldn't be surprised if some "men" even went as far as even calling her a slut and crap like that.

Put both pictures of her for a better perspective. The picture below:

//i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/WORLD/meast/02/1...


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Does liniancy work?

by Alborzi (not verified) on

One of the major criticism of the sentence is that in the modern societies they do not do this, ergo it must be barbaric. The point is that in these societies the punishment is more of containment. The idea is that there should not be an unusual or cruel punishment. In this case the idea is to make the punishment such that it will be a adulterant to a future attacker. You can make your judgment but Iran is not full of blind or one handed people. Essentially the deterrence works.


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Ali P.

by Derakhshandeh (not verified) on

Those women who are lashing other women are just doing their jobs. It would be sweet justice to lash those who create these jobs. In Africa they steal children to become soldiers and force them to do heiness crimes. These children are as much a victim as other victims of these war lords.

Of course in reality there may be truth and reconciliation tribunes like those in South Africa or Cambodia to seek truth and the reality and brutality of the crimes and the real criminal leaders who started them.

If Iran one day becomes free of inequalities and people can live in freedom and prosperity I am willing to let go of the crimes of the past and look to the future.


Kaveh Nouraee

Princess/Derakhshandeh

by Kaveh Nouraee on

This is one of those situations that honestly causes me a great deal of conflict. Go ahead and laugh, scratch your head, think I'm cuckoo, Princess. It's all good. This puzzles the hell out of me, too.

I have no reservations about this guy paying for what he has done. The question for me is how to make him pay in a way where the punishment serves justice, rather than just revenge.

If this were a rape case, I'd be the first to say "castrate the sonofabitch, anally rape him with his own organ then feed him his own testicles."

I'm also for capital punishment in cases of premeditated murder, especially when the victim is a child. As far as I'm concerned there's no room for debate there.

Derakhshandeh, I haven't seen Slumdog yet, but I will soon.

I guess I'm wondering, is there a way to dispense justice, give the victim the sense that she exacted revenge on her terms, and have something good come out of it? That's why I mentioned the cornea removal. If someone who needs a cornea (or two) would be able to "benefit" from this, (for lack of a better word) would that make it better?

I really feel for this woman, and she deserves her revenge but at the same time will anything be gained by this as it stands now?

That's why I said it's a lose-lose.


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Prevention as opposed to regvenge

by Ajam (not verified) on

Dear "I wonder," I believe you have misconceived my views. If you read my comments below (this time more thoroughly) you'll find nothing suggesting my support for Ghesas. As I mentioned, I’m adamantly against Ghesas or even death penalty for that matter. As a matter of fact I have been roughed up at 15 (by my school’s Anjoman-e Eslami and Basij) and put in Sepah's jail (in Azimieh, Karaj) for speaking up against implementation of Ghesas when it was first introduced back in the 80s. That said, this particular crime (acid attack) is so heart-wrenching that I can not think of a preventative (and by no means revengeful) punishment aside from maximal punishment!

Ever since I was a child, every now and then I have heard of such an inhuman act of crime taking place in our society -- Dariush Eghbali, the singer being a prominent victim of such attack. But not everyone is as fortunate and affluent to get the best treatment that money can buy. Many victims, especially young women, lose their purpose for life as a result of such cowardly acts. We're not talking about petty theft, stabbing, even murder which can happen out of despair and destitute, not even armed robbery that can fall more or less within the realm of the same argument. We are talking about an individual (and I regret using the term “animal” in my previous reference, for no animal is capable of doing so) who intentionally blinds and disfigures another human being just to see her suffer a gradual death for the rest of her life. People who commit such crimes are not pressured by poverty or social disparity, but motivated by a misogynist, selfish desire to ruin someone else's life without having to pay the price for murder. This has been happening in our society -- albeit sporadically -- for decades.

I never claimed that eye-for-an-eye justice is an effective method of curbing crimes (as Gandhi put it, “it makes the whole world go blind.” On the contrary, I believe that crimes should be dealt with by eliminating the underlying causes such as poverty, social injustice and inequality... Yet in this particular instance, I fail to see a justifying cause from the social pathology stand point but personal agenda. Since such an agenda could be pertained to temporary insanity claim, I find a good deterrence such as maximum penalty (not necessarily Ghesas) could prove effective in keeping the future perpetrators from going insane -- for they know they're not going scot-free! Again, this is not about revenge, it’s about making the future perpetrators think twice before committing such crimes!


Princess

Kaveh Nouraee.

by Princess on

you ARE the devil incarnate...

LOL... I can't believe you made that suggestion... :))) sometimes I am puzzled with how your mind works.

I know, bad taste, but that was funny.


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If any of you had a daughter

by Anonymous758674785 (not verified) on

If any of you had a daughter who ended up like this poor woman, you would never even care about this so called humane punishment of this animal. He should feel the pain he inflicted on that poor woman. He should receive the justice. Imagine your own face or the face of your loved one like your daughter or mother burned with acid by a low-life jerk just because she didn't want to marry him, how would you feel? he deserves to be burned with acid too , this way no one would dare to commit this heinous act again.


Ali P.

To :What???

by Ali P. on

 Maybe I exaggerated the softness of US justice system when I said he'd probably serve a year or two. There are many factors that influence one's actual sentence ,served for a crime. But this is the system, and many, many times, we do not agree with the sentence, or the actual sentence served, by a defendant.

 I guess if this animal is in a liberal state, gets a good lawyer, has no priors, shows remorse, and is willing to pay restitution to her, he may get three years, and then paroled in two. Probably rare , with all the publicity surrounding the case, but possible.

Serving a life sentence for a DUI manslaughter is also rare. There must have been aggrevating factors in the case you mentioned (Plus life sentence does not mean life. Many are paroled after 20 years).

//www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/local_news/epaper/2009/01/23/a1b_duimanslaughter_0124.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=76

Also, in the US, no one gets the chair, unless the crime he (or she) committed, involved taking a human life ( That has been the case in the last fifty years, I think).

 

On a different note, I just read about the two female labor activists in Kurdistan, having received lashes for their "crime".

 I am not normally for 'an eye for an eye', but would it not be sweet justice to see the women who performed this punishment ( since in Islam, I guess, men cannot lash women), receive the same, some day?


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Kaveh Nouraee

by Derakhshandeh (not verified) on

Maybe another way to look at this is to recall some of the most heiness crimes in the past few years. For example, the guy in Florida was it who raped and killed that 10 or 12 year old girl and then burried her alive? Or the guy who raped that 4 year old girl and someone else was selling the video of it, who by the way the other day I heard his trial has started or something.

Or take Osama Bin Laden. Don't many people want to tear these kind of criminals apart limb by limb if they had a choice?

This is not revenge in my mind, this is a taste of the kind of suffering these criminals inflict on not only the victim but the victim's family. Revenge would be the act of other similar criminals who'd copy cat these crimes to get revenge.

Did you see that movie Slumdog Millionaire? This guy was intentionally blinding children so they could go begging for him and make money. Now I know these kind of people exist and they are not only in this movie. Justice in a case like this is non-existent because those children had their entire life ahead of them while that guy is old.

So in this case I don't debate the morality or right or wrong, I just let it be. Especially since this guy is not even sorry.

Put both pictures of her for a better perspective. The picture below:

//i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/WORLD/meast/02/1...