Iranians still facing death by stoning despite ‘reprieve’
Category: stoning
International Protests Against Stoning July 10 and 11
LONDON, England: Saturday July 10, 2pm Trafalgar Square: Caravan through London against stoning in Iran. We will be meeting at 2pm on Trafalgar Square to do a stone-in act and then move towards other points in London staging more stone-in acts to raise awareness of Sakine’s sentence. Contact: iransolidarityuk@gmail.com or call 07507978745.
BEVERLY HILLS CALIFORNIA, United States: Sunday July 11, 12pm-3pm on the north side of Santa Monica Blvd and Beverly Drive on the side with the grass and park. Contact: maria.rohaly@gmail.com.
SYDNEY, Australia: Sunday July 11, 11am-1pm outside City Hall. Organized by Iran Solidarity Australia.
WASHINGTON DC, United States: Sunday July 11, 12pm-1:30pm outside Islamic Republic’s Interests Section of the Pakistani Embassy (2209 Wisconsin Ave NW) to protest against stoning and execution and in remembrance of 18 Tir. Organized by WPI, REAL Courage and Mission Free Iran
DC: Protests Outside Iranian Interests Building: Stop the Stoning of Sakineh Ashtiani
On July 2, 2010, in Washington DC, outside of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Interest Section of the Pakistan Embassy, Washington DC area demonstrators called for the Iranian government to stop the stoning of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year old woman, who has been convicted of adultery in the Islamic Republic of Iran and condemned to death by stoning. R.E.A.L. urges the public to express their voice in an online petition demanding that Iran stops the stoning of Sakineh Ashtiani and ends stoning in Iran.
The DC protest demonstration, promoted by Mission Free Iran, was led by Washington DC human rights activist Maria Rohaly. Demonstrators included Iranians who have moved to America, supporters of the group Human Rights & Secular Democracy For Iran, and supporters of the volunteer human rights group Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.).
Outside of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Interest Section of the Pakistan Embassy, human rights activist Maria Rohaly read a protest statement calling for ending of stoning in Iran: “We are gathered here today in response to the plight of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and her children.” Maria Rohaly stated that her children “have called upon the world for help to save their mother’s life. We in Washington DC tell them that we feel their pain and we know their grief. We want them to know that they are not alone in their sorrow and their anguish. Dear children, your letter has raised a wave of sympathy and compassion, demonstrating that humanity is alive. Today, we loudly declare: 1. First the stoning verdict against Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani should be discarded. Execution is murder by the state. 2. Stoning is the most savage and most merciless form of execution and should be abolished, must be abolished in Iran and worldwide. 3. Third, sexual relationships between adults are private matters and no individuals, no institutions, and especially, no government, has the right to interfere in these matters. 4. Fourth, we strongly condemn the Islamic Republic [of Iran] for its barbaric implementation of stoning, execution, and torture… we call upon all international institutions as well as the United Nations and the European Union to strongly condemn the Islamic Republic and demand that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s stoning verdict be overturned, as well as verdicts of all others that [Iran] plans stoning and executions. 5. We use this opportunity to demand immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, including Zeinab Jalalian. 6. The Islamic Republic of Iran’s leaders must be prosecuted and punished in an international court on charges of stoning and executions of tens of thousands of people. No to execution, no to stoning, and no to murderous laws.”
YouTube Video of Maria Rohaly’s Statement in Washington DC
Demonstrators protested alongside Wisconsin Avenue and alerted motorists and pedestrians to the stoning threat to Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtianii. Some of the protesters also marched from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Interest Section of the Pakistan Embassy at 2209 Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest to Dupont Circle to distribute fliers to the public on this issue and urge them to contact their governments on the barbaric acts of stoning that have taken place, and are planned to take place in Iran.
Additional photographs of the Washington DC July 2 Protest are online at these Picasa web site.
An international campaign led by Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s children has sought to alert the world to this and call upon the Iranian government to quash her conviction, which was obtained after she was lashed 99 times. Demonstrators also condemned the barbaric practice of stoning and the inequality of women in Iran. According to the Guardian, “Under Iranian sharia law, the sentenced individual is buried up to the neck (or to the waist in the case of men), and those attending the public execution are called upon to throw stones.” CNN, Radio Free Europe/Radio Free Liberty, the Daily Mail, and other media have reported on this story. Mission Free Iran, the Human Rights & Secular Democracy For Iran group, International Committee Against Stoning, and R.E.A.L. have sought to publicize the campaign to stop the stoning of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani.
Mission Free Iran promoted the event with a blog article “STOP the STONING of Sakine Mohammadi,” and has also been promoting additional global protests in London (July 2), Toronto (July 4), and Cologne, Germany (July 4). The Human Rights & Secular Democracy For Iran group has held a number of Washington DC human rights events for Iran, including a March 7 event recognizing the need for women’s equality in Iran on International Women’s Day, and a February 11 event in solidarity with women and students in support of Iranian democracy. R.E.A.L. has tried to publicize the continuing plight of stoning in Iran and other parts of the world, and has held multiple awareness events on stoning corresponding to the film released last summer, “The Stoning of Soraya M.,” including a public awareness campaign in Washington DC’s Georgetown. R.E.A.L. supporters have also tried to have home gatherings to watch the DVD release of that film in March 2010.
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Mission Free Iran Published Statement for Washington DC Event
Friday July 2 at 6pm in front of the Islamic Republic’s Interests Section of the Pakistani Embassy (2209 Wisconsin Ave NW, Wash DC).
The children of Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani have reached out to the world with a heart-rending appeal: Protest against our mother’s stoning!
Mission Free Iran is organizing Washington DC’s participation in the global protest to respond to the appeal of Sakine’s children and demand a stop to the barbaric execution of Sakine by stoning.
We will meet in front of the Islamic Republic’s Interests Section of the Pakistani Embassy at 6pm on Friday, July 2, 2010 to tell the Islamic Republic that we will not stay silent while one more woman is stoned to death in Iran. We will later walk to DuPont Circle and raise awareness of Sakine’s situation in the community.
Please feel free to bring your own signs with messages protesting the barbaric and criminal stoning act that the Islamic Republic has planned for our sister, Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani.
* We will demand freedom for Sakine.
* We will demand an end to stoning, and to all executions in Iran.
* We will demand removal of the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
* We will demand that the Islamic Republic be put on trial in international court for its crimes against humanity.
There will be an open mike so that anyone who wishes to speak may express themselves.
“He said his mother was an outspoken critic of the regime and especially Khomeini from day one. She was a teacher and had spoken against the regime and authorities at work. “One day when we were all having lunch, they stormed in and took my mother with them … it all happened so quickly. It didn’t even take two weeks when, one day, they announced in the town ‘come and witness a women being stoned.’ That woman was my mother.”
He said that with fear and in a state of shock, he went and from a distance witnessed his mother being stoned to death… he believes though that his mother was still alive when buried. This man has sent me his indictment against the savage thuggery of this anti-human, fascist regime, to be introduced to an international court.”
– Rescue Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani, Prosecute Leaders of the Islamic Republic! by Mina Ahadi
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Additional Activism to Challenge Groups Promoting Stoning
The international Hizb ut-Tahrir group held a demonstration on June 22 in Indonesia supporting calls for stoning, and we reject such views. On World AIDS day, Hizb ut-Tahrir also called for stonings as the answer to AIDS. The American branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir is planning to meet in a Chicago suburb on July 18 or 25 at an undetermined location, after the Chicago Oak Brook Marriott canceled hosting their Hizb ut-Tahrir America conference on July 11. R.E.A.L. has challenged Hizb ut-Tahrir’s views on stoning, and Hizb ut-Tahrir America’s objections to democracy and religious freedom. R.E.A.L. has invited DC area Muslims in support of democracy and religious freedom to join them at the R.E.A.L. July 11 Lincoln Memorial event at 2 PM to demonstrate their support for our human rights, and challenge Hizb ut-Tahrir’s views.
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Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) stand with our fellow human beings in defense of our Universal Human Rights.
We urge all – Choose Love, Not Hate – Love Wins.
Iran: Stop the Stoning of Sakine Ashtiani
Human rights activists around the world are condemning the Islamic Republic of Iran court’s decision to stone Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani for adultery. We condemn this barbaric and inhuman practice and demand that the U.S. government and international justice and human rights groups speak out on this. We demand that the Islamic Republic of Iran ENDS this inhuman practice of stoning.
Protests are being held in Washington DC and London on July 2 and in Toronto and Cologne Germany on July 4. The international point of contact is maria.rohaly@gmail.com
The Washington DC protests on July 2 beginning at 6 PM will be held at the Islamic Republic of Iran Interest area of the Pakistan Embassy at 2209 Wisconsin Ave N.W., Washington DC. The protest organizers state that the event will include “Walk to DuPont Circle to read demands and share information with the community about Sakine Mohammadi, Zeinab Jalalian, and removing the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.”
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Protest Statement for Washington DC Event
Friday July 2 at 6pm in front of the Islamic Republic’s Interests Section of the Pakistani Embassy (2209 Wisconsin Ave NW, Wash DC).
The children of Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani have reached out to the world with a heart-rending appeal: Protest against our mother’s stoning!
Mission Free Iran is organizing Washington DC’s participation in the global protest to respond to the appeal of Sakine’s children and demand a stop to the barbaric execution of Sakine by stoning.
We will meet in front of the Islamic Republic’s Interests Section of the Pakistani Embassy at 6pm on Friday, July 2, 2010 to tell the Islamic Republic that we will not stay silent while one more woman is stoned to death in Iran. We will later walk to DuPont Circle and raise awareness of Sakine’s situation in the community.
Please feel free to bring your own signs with messages protesting the barbaric and criminal stoning act that the Islamic Republic has planned for our sister, Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani.
* We will demand freedom for Sakine.
* We will demand an end to stoning, and to all executions in Iran.
* We will demand removal of the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
* We will demand that the Islamic Republic be put on trial in international court for its crimes against humanity.
There will be an open mike so that anyone who wishes to speak may express themselves.
“He said his mother was an outspoken critic of the regime and especially Khomeini from day one. She was a teacher and had spoken against the regime and authorities at work. “One day when we were all having lunch, they stormed in and took my mother with them … it all happened so quickly. It didn’t even take two weeks when, one day, they announced in the town ‘come and witness a women being stoned.’ That woman was my mother.”
He said that with fear and in a state of shock, he went and from a distance witnessed his mother being stoned to death… he believes though that his mother was still alive when buried. This man has sent me his indictment against the savage thuggery of this anti-human, fascist regime, to be introduced to an international court.”
– Rescue Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani, Prosecute Leaders of the Islamic Republic! by Mina Ahadi
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— International Committee Against Stoning Protest Letter
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News Media Reports:
CNN: Iran: Death by stoning imminent for Iranian woman, attorney says
— CNN: “Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani, a mother of two, is waiting to die in Iran by a method of execution described by her lawyer as ‘barbaric’ — stoning.”
— “She will be buried up to her chest, deeper than a man would be, and the stones that will be hurled at her will be large enough to cause pain but not so large as to kill her immediately, according to an Amnesty International report that cited the Iranian penal code.”
— “The 42-year-old woman from the northern city of Tabriz was convicted of adultery in 2006, and her execution is imminent, said prominent human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei.”
— “Ashtiani was forced to confess after being subjected to 99 lashes, Mostafaei said Thursday in a telephone interview from Tehran.”
— Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty: Fear For Iranian Woman Facing Death By Stoning
— RFE/RL: “According to Article 83 of the Laws of Islamic Punishment in Iran, ratified in 1991, the penalty for adultery is death by stoning.”
— Ynet – Iran: Children appeal for help in saving mother from execution
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Other Global Protests
LONDON, England: Friday July 2, 18:00-21:00 outside the Islamic Republic Embassy, 16 Prince’s Gate, London SW7 1PT, تلفن اطلاعات: 07515732665
KÖLN (Cologne), Germany: Sunday July 4, Mourning Mothers will gather at the Church Door in the City Center at 11am to protest the threatened executions of Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani and Zeinab Jalalian.
TORONTO, Canada: Sunday July 4, Community Fair at the Toronto Pride Week festivities; activities will consist of handing out fliers and talking to the community about stopping the stoning of Sakine. (more details forthcoming)
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Washington DC Protests Logistics Information
The Washington DC protests on July 2 beginning at 6 PM will be held at the Islamic Republic of Iran Interest area of the Pakistan Embassy at 2209 Wisconsin Ave N.W., which is in the vicinity of the Dupont Circle or Woodley Park/Adams Morgan subway stops (Red Line); however, note this may be a significant walk. Walking should take about 45 minutes. See detailed walking directions below.
The protest organizers state that the event will include “Walk to DuPont Circle to read demands and share information with the community about Sakine Mohammadi, Zeinab Jalalian, and removing the Islamic Republic from the UN Commission on the Status of Women.”
Google Street Map Area of 2209 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Washington DC
Google Walking Directions from:
— Dupont Circle Metro Stop (1525 20th Street Northwest, Washington, DC) to 2209 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC
1. Head north on 20th St NW toward Q St NW 33 ft
2. Turn left at Q St NW 1.1 mi
3. Turn right at Wisconsin Ave NW 0.7 mi
Destination will be on the right
Google Walking Directions from:
— Woodley Park/Adams Morgan Metro Stop (2700 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC) to 2209 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC
1. Head southeast on Connecticut Ave NW toward Woodley Rd NW 207 ft
2. Turn right at Woodley Rd NW 0.3 mi
3. Continue onto Garfield St NW 0.5 mi
4. Turn left at 34th St NW 0.2 mi
5. Turn right at Massachusetts Ave NW 246 ft
6. Turn left at Observatory Cir NW 0.3 mi
7. Continue onto Calvert St NW 0.1 mi
8. Turn left at Wisconsin Ave NW 0.3 mi
Destination will be on the left
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Indonesia: Hizb ut-Tahrir Calls for Stoning
AFP reports of the calls by anti-democracy organization, Hizb ut-Tahrir, in calling for stonings in Indonesia, and viewing the Internet as a threat to Islamic values. (Apparently this excludes the Indonesia Hizb ut-Tahrir web site.) Hizb ut-Tahrir also called for promotion of a global Islamic caliphate. At the Indonesia Hizb ut-Tahrir web site, Hizb ut-Tahrir claimed that 1,500 individuals attended its rally. Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia states that “HTI therefore calls upon all parties, especially members of parliament to break down the total current system and replace it with Islamic sharia.”
Indonesia: Hizb ut-Tahrir Calls for Stoning
— AFP: “About 1,000 protesters led by radical group Hizbut Tahrir shouted ‘Allahu akbar’ (God is greater) and brandished black flags and banners with slogans such as ‘Arrest those who commit promiscuous sex'”
— “Hizbut Tahrir spokesman Mohammed Ismail Yusanto said the Internet was a threat to Islamic values in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. He said Islamic or sharia law should be applied across the archipelago of some 240 million people, including the stoning to death of adulterers.”
— “Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia coordinator Fadilah Karimah, 32, said she would like to see adulterers buried up to their necks in public places and pelted with stones until dead. ‘Those people who have sex before marriage should be caned with a stick 100 times in public. Adulterers should be half-buried and stoned to death,’ she told AFP at the rally.”
Stoning of Soraya M. Film to Be Released on DVD – March 9, 2010 – “They Cannot Get Away With This”
The film that captures the story about the brutal stoning in Iran, symptomatic of the religious extremist views against women, is scheduled to be released on DVD on March 9, 2010 – “I want you to take my words with you”
“THE WORLD MUST KNOW – THEY CANNOT GET AWAY WITH THIS”
R.E.A.L. Postings on “The Stoning of Soraya M.”
DC: Theater Packed for Premiere of Film “The Stoning of Soraya M.”
Film set in Iran examines death by stoning — “The Stoning of Soraya M.”
Live Interview with the Director of The Stoning of Soraya M.
DC: Women Speak Out on “Soraya M.” Film, Oppression of Women by Religious Extremists
U.S. Theater List for Film “The Stoning of Soraya M.”
June 26 — DC Area Theaters Showing “The Stoning of Soraya M.”
Film “The Stoning of Soraya M.” to Premier June 20 in Los Angeles
May 17, 2009 — R.E.A.L. Challenges Religious Extremism and Its “War on Women”
“The Stoning of Soraya M” — Theater Listing for June 26 Premiere
Stephen McEveety produces “Stoning of Soraya M.”
UK: Remember Du’a public seminar in London — Stoning Death in Front of 2000 Men
Remember Du’a public seminar in London
— “On the 7th of April 2007 Du’a Khalil Aswad was brutally stoned to death in front of 2000 men, the killers included her uncle and some of her closest relatives in the Town of Bashiqa.”
Somalia: Extremists Stone Man to Death, Publicly Whip 15 Year Old Girl
— Somali Man Stoned to Death by Extremists for Adultery
— Bloomberg reports: “Somalia’s rebel Hisb-ul-Islam group had a man stoned to death for adultery in front of hundreds of people and a woman flogged for her relationship with him, Sheikh Osman Fidow, a security official for the group, said in an interview.”
— Somalia: Extremists Excute Two Men in Afgoye District
— RBC Radio: Mohammed Abubakar Ibrahim stoned to death for adultery, Sheik Osman Hassan Fidow said stoning based on “Islamic sharia law”
— “Adan Ahmed who was at the scene told RBC Radio that he was looking one of the excuted men (Abu Bakr Mohammed Ibrahim) screaming, with blood pouring from his head and chest.. he added ‘He died quickly after being hit by large pieces of rubble.’ ”
— “Ibrahim’s partner, a 15-year-old girl who did nor revealed her name, was punished with 100 lashes on her body because she is not married.”
World AIDS Day: Hizb ut-Tahrir Calls for Stonings, Whippings, Caliphate
On December 1, 2009, as groups concerned about the AIDS disease sought public awareness and prevention, the anti-freedom, extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir held its own protests in Indonesia rejecting condoms and AIDS prevention measures and demanding the creation of an extremist caliphate . AFP reports that “700 members from the Muslim Women of Hizbut Tahrir” were involved in the Indonesia protests. As AIDS continues to grow in Indonesia, Hizb ut-Tahrir is promoting an anti-condom campaign as part of its efforts to promote religious extremism in Indonesia and globally.
Hizb ut-Tahrir’s goals including ending democracy and freedom, and the promotion of an extremist caliphate, including calling for the “death penalty” for those “traitors” who leave Islam. U.S. President Obama’s adviser on Muslim affairs Dalia Mogahed has joined Hizb ut-Tahrir in a public interview conducted by a supporter of the British Hizb ut-Tahrir organization.
There have been repeated attempts to make homosexuality illegal in Indonesia, as prostitution and drug use are currently. The Aceh province of Indonesia has made homosexuality a crime under Sharia law punished by public whipping and steep imprisonment, as well as stoning for other offenses against Sharia.
While AFP, MySinChew/AFP, and the Jakarta Globe have focused on Hizb ut-Tahrir’s (HT) rallies and comments regarding ending the use of condoms and enforcing Sharia law as a way to control AIDS risks, none of the mainstream media have noticed Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia’s web site report quoting Dr. Muhammad Usman and others at a Hizb ut-Tahrir event calling for “stoning to death” and “whip a hundred times” individuals as part of Hizb ut-Tahrir’s answers to the AIDS problems. The HT report also states condoms are ineffective because “whereas the pores of condoms was only able to hold the sperm, not the size of the HIV virus is much smaller.”
The Jakarta Globe reported that “Ahead of World AIDS Day on Tuesday, members of the group Hizbut Tahrir took to the streets in several major cities, including Jakarta, Solo, Yogyakarta and Makassar in South Sulawesi. ‘We urge everybody to support the application of Shariah in an Islamic caliphate so that, God willing, all of us will be free from the threat of HIV/AIDS,’ Hizbut Tahrir spokeswoman Febrianti Abassuni said in a statement.” Calling “homosexuals the agents of immorality,” Hizb ut-Tahrir called for an end to programs providing condoms in Indonesia.
BBC reports that “AIDS activists say promoting condom use is a huge challenge in Indonesia as there is strong resistance from religious and conservative groups.” While AIDS in Indonesia grew predominantly from drug use, increasing growth is reportedly sexual based. BBC reports that “[r]ecent data shows over 18,000 people have the disease – and that number has jumped from last year.”
While Hizb ut-Tahrir and other groups seek to prevent condom distribution and use, AIDS has spread dramatically throughout Indonesia. AFP reports that “around 270,000 Indonesians are estimated to be infected with HIV, and AIDS has claimed about 8,700 lives in the Muslim-majority nation of 228 million people, according to the UNAIDS agency.”
Reports have shown significant growth in AIDS among heterosexuals.
In a separate report, BBC reports that in the United Kingdom, 60 percent of new AIDS cases are appearing among Muslims. In the BBC report, “According to Dr Shima Tariq, who has studied the transmission of HIV, more than half of newly diagnosed patients caught HIV through heterosexual sex, and two-thirds of them are of black African origin or descent. But most of this group are not Christian: six out of 10 are Muslim.”
Resources – Hizb ut-Tahrir AIDS Day Reports:
AFP: “Indonesian militants call for sharia law to stop HIV”
AFP/MySinchew.com: “Indonesian Islamists protest condom use for preventing AIDS”
Jakarta Globe: “Hard-Line Indonesian Muslims Seek Shariah End to HIV”
Bernama: “Indonesia Intensifies Efforts To Fight AIDS”
BBC: “Indonesia HIV-Aids ‘spreading through sex'”
Indonesia: Sharia Bill Calling for Stoning, Now Officially Law in Aceh
Indonesia: Students demand harsher sharia law implementation
Asia: Shariah Asia Spread Appeases Islamists, Risks Rights
Indonesia: Women Banned from Wearing Jeans and Pants — Sharia Police Plan Raids and Patrols
Indonesia: 1500 Sharia Police Harrass Men, Women in Aceh
Other Reports on Hizb ut-Tahrir:
Bangladesh: Anti-Freedom Group Hizb ut-Tahrir Threatens to Murder University Official
UK: Hizb ut-Tahrir Anti-Democracy Group Schools Receive Government Funding
National Post Describes Anti-Jewish Hizb ut-Tahrir’s Growth on College Campuses
White House Adviser Joins UK Interview with Anti-Democratic Hizb ut-Tahrir Group
Extremist Hizb ut-Tahrir Event Promoted with Beheaded Statue of Liberty
UK: Press Reports of “Furious Residents” over Extremist Hizb ut-Tahrir Conference
Canada: Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT) Group to Meet in Govt-Managed Community Center
Chicago’s Moment of Freedom: Chicagoans Stand Up for Freedom Challenging Hizb ut-Tahrir
July 19 – Chicago: R.E.A.L. Pro-Freedom Protest to Challenge Hizb ut-Tahrir America Conference
Chicago: IPT News: “Pro-Terror Group to Meet in Chicago Suburb” – report on Hizb ut-Tahrir
Somalia: Woman Stoned to Death by Extremists
Yet another stoning in Somalia with a crowd of 200 watching – this is the second stoning in Somalia this month. This latest stoning of a woman on November 17, 2009 was done by the extremist group al-Shabab. BBC and other news services conflict over the age of the woman who was stoned to death (see reports below).
This is the same al-Shabab that also used their extremist version of Sharia law to justify the stoning of 13 year old girl Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow. Aisha, who was a victim of gang-rape, was also stoned to death while a crowd of 1000 watched. We urge you to sign our petition demanding government and international recognition of the anti-freedom ideology of extremism used to oppress and to justify violence and murder against women (and men).
— BBC reports: “Somali woman stoned for adultery”
— “A 20-year-old woman divorcee accused of committing adultery in Somalia has been stoned to death by Islamists in front of a crowd of about 200 people.”
— “A judge working for the militant group al-Shabab said she had had an affair with an unmarried 29-year-old man.”
— “He said she gave birth to a still-born baby and was found guilty of adultery. Her boyfriend was given 100 lashes.”
— “It is thought to be the second time a woman has been stoned to death for adultery by al-Shabab.”
— “The group controls large swathes of southern Somalia where they have imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law which has been unpopular with many Somalis.”
— “According to reports from a small village near the town of Wajid, 250 miles (400km) north-west of the capital, Mogadishu, the woman was taken to the public grounds where she was buried up to her waist.”
— “She was then stoned to death in front of the crowds on Tuesday afternoon.”
— “The judge, Sheikh Ibrahim Abdirahman, said her unmarried boyfriend was given 100 lashes at the same venue.”
— “Under al-Shabab’s interpretation of Sharia law, anyone who has ever been married – even a divorcee – who has an affair is liable to be found guilty of adultery, punishable by stoning to death.”
— “An unmarried person who has sex before marriage is liable to be given 100 lashes.”
— “BBC East Africa correspondent Will Ross says the stoning is at least the fourth for adultery in Somalia over the last year.”
— “Earlier this month, a man was stoned to death for adultery in the port town of Merka, south of Mogadishu.”
— “His pregnant girlfriend was spared, until she gives birth.”
— “Last month, two men were stoned to death in Merka after being accused of spying.”
— “President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a moderate Islamist, was sworn in as president after UN-brokered peace talks in January.”
— “Although he says he also wants to implement Sharia, al-Shabab says his version of Islamic law would be too lenient.”
— “The country has not had a functioning national government for 18 years.”
— SINA News quotes Sheikh Abdurrahman, “a Al-Shabaab court judge in ElBon village in Bakool region,” as stating: “Haliimo Ibraahim Abdurrahman, 29, who had been previously married, had an illegal sex with Nanah Mohamed Maadey, 20, previously unmarried, and they have confessed to the acts in front of the court which sentenced Halimo to be stoned to death and Nanah to receive 100 lashes in accordance with the Islamic law.”
— South Africa News 24/DPA reports: “Somali woman stoned to death”
— “Somali insurgent group al-Shabaab has stoned a 29-year-old married woman to death for adultery, the second such execution this month, officials said.”
— “Sheikh Ibrahim Sheikh Abdirahman, an al-Shabaab judge, also ordered the woman’s sexual partner, and unmarried man, to receive one hundred lashes.”
— “Hundreds of spectators watched the stoning late on Tuesday in the village of Eelbon, southern Somalia.”
— “Al-Shabaab and its ally Hizbul Islam are battling the weak central government and control much of south and central Somalia. They have been implementing strict sharia, or Islamic law, in the areas they control, ordering floggings and executions. They have also banned musical ringtones and dancing at weddings. An estimated 19 000 civilians have died since early 2007 in Somalia’s bloody insurgency…”
— Daily Nation reports “Somalia: Woman Stoned to Death for Adultery”:
— “Mogadishu — An unnamed woman was stoned to death at Eel-boon in Wajid district, 330 kilometres southwest of Mogadishu, on Wednesday. She was sentenced by an Islamic court after she was found guilty of adultery.”
— “The woman was taken to a square, her body half buried and then stoned.”
— “A crowd was present as well as officials of al-Shabaab, an Islamist movement that opposes the Transitional Federal Government and controls a large territory in Southern and Central Somalia.”
— “A young man, who was also caught in the same adulterous act, received 100 strokes of the cane.”
— “According to Sheikh Ibrahim Sheikh Abdurahman, a judge of the Islamic court who sentenced the woman to death and the man to whipping said the cases differed.”
— ” ‘The woman was had been married before and under Sharia (Islamic law) she is to be stoned to death upon proof,’ said Sheikh Abdurahman.”
— ” ‘The young man with no previous marriage experience is to receive 100 whips under the same law,’ he added.”
— “Last Friday, another Islamic court that falls under the control of al-Shabaab sentenced a young man to death by stoning in Marka town, 110 kilometres south of Mogadishu. He was found guilty of committing adultery following a case of alleged rape.”
— “At a football stadium facing the Indian Ocean, the condemned man was taken to a corner of the playground, his body half buried in dirt before youngsters started hitting him with stones.”
— “Before the execution, the clergymen who rule Marka town and surrounding areas announced that a woman who had also been sentenced for committing adultery was in custody, to be stoned.”
— “The woman is said to be pregnant.”
— “Al-Shabaab and Hizbu Islam, the Islamist groups that strongly oppose the TFG, generally enforce the severe punishments.”
— “In 2008, a teenage girl was accused of adultery in Kismayu, 500 kilometres south of Mogadishu, sentenced by a court and stoned to death.”