January 02, 2008
Iran Hangs Battered Woman Raheleh Zamani
This sad sad story via Phyllis Chesler:
It was snowing in Teheran when they hung the twenty seven year-old mother of two children earlier today in the notorious Evin Prison. From the moment she was arrested, she had not been allowed to ever see her children again. Her name was Raheleh Zamani and she had been married off when she was only 15 years old. The political campaign to halt or commute her execution failed....This was at the very worst manslaughter and the very least self defense. In an Islamic society where women have little recourse and few rights she was left with no good choices....This tragic story could easily be one of the tales in Marjane Satrapi’s film, Persepolis.
Raheleh had endured years of savage battering at her husband’s hands. He was a typical batterer in that the beatings intensified during her pregnancies. After giving birth two months ago, Raheleh was suffering from severe postpartum depression. And, her husband had begun to medicate her with mind-altering drugs. Listen to her describe what led up to her murder of her husband.
May God rest her soul. I remember Mookie saying Iranian women were better off than western women. Tell us Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, how has Iran helped this woman? Your country gave her no rights and no recourse and when she finally stood for herself, you hung her like a common murderer. With no consideration of her circumstances. You sir are a common liar.
