The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008 - US/Iran)
Stars: Jim Caviezel, Shohreh Aghdashloo, etc.
Directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh
(In English and Farsi language with English translations)
In a remote village in Iran in 1986, a French-Iranian journalist comes across a woman and tells the story of how her niece was stoned to death and the incidents that led to the punishment done according to Islamic laws of the land.
Based on a true story written on a novel by Friedhoune Sahebjam, a French-Iranian journalist, harrowing drama gives us a touchy perspective of the events that led to the incident, from a Sheikh's sudden 'appraisal' in the community (a former ex-convict before the Islamic Revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini), a husband who's willing to marry another girl and makes something to divorce his wife Soraya (a familiar subject highly similar to Genesis' thread), an aunt (Shohreh Aghdashloo) who doesn't give up to defend her niece for her human rights and men's deceits, an innocent mechanic who was forced to lie for the sake of the husband, the confused mayor who was verged to follow the dominating laws and the Sheikh, and the deceitfully wrong use of religion and its own god to claim the verdict of the public masses and one's possessive personal involvements and conspiracies.
The 'stoning scenes' (I quoted this because I don't know what to make of it after I've seen it) was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking (the public community were shouting 'Allah Akbar' while 'enjoying' the stone throw and children were also involved to do it) and at the full length of the film you will immediately really say that "This is sooo totally damn wrong with them!" After seeing this movie, it makes me wanna think that if Shariah laws were misused by the people that abides in it (the Sheikh and the husband being involved in the lies) it may as just give a wrong perception and judgement to the innocent people (specially women and children)and will somewhat semi-obviously look imbalanced and ill-fated to as much as everyone bounded by a country running the laws, specially for a punishment that seems somewhat 'ancient'.
i watched this movie last night.... and my heart breaks into pieces... =(
genesis said heero_yuy2 ...
have you seen the film?
I wouldn't give my personal movie review if I hadn't seen it yet. It just so happens that I had a 'preview' copy of this movie a two weeks ago and suddenly your thread about the strange case in Qatari court pops in and is somewhat related to the problems within the husband and wife. so I started seeing this two days ago.
...although in the movie the verdict was passed ('adultery' being the reason hence the death by stoning punishment).
"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
It is a very good film and quite true of what is happening in Iran.
which film you are talking about please? Which film you ordered to amazon ?
do the Americans need to reform their justice system???
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A lot of lovemaking can unblock a stuffy nose! Dr. Choc
Dot,
All man made creations are not perfect - perfection is utopia. However having the freedom to progress and improve sure makes things in certain ways, better.
If man kind didn’t have that freedom we would certainly not be here communicating the way we are.
Genesis,
Thank you for the partial and objective comment!
If the world could get that image from the Muslim world (aka Scholars), the friction would be greatly reduced and the respect and admiration would be greatly increased.
dot,
you may find your answers here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aafia_Siddiqui
have you seen the film?
i have pre-ordered it from amazon, as it's yet to be released on dvd next month.
As for Sharia law, there have always been space for interpretation by scholars. That's why we have terms like fatwa & Ijtihad. In recent years, Muslims are split between fatwas issued by moderate & bigot scholars
fundamentalist seem to attack any call for reform, accusing reformist of being secular or even in some cases call them infidels!
what's happening now in the gulf, Is a clash between scholars & intellects whom are considered to be liberal & the fundamentalist (salafis).
The problem is that the salafis somehow succeeded in brain-washing the public with lies about reformists . Many confuse liberalism & call for reform with secularism.
Dr. Aafia Siddiqui in American court???
A helpless woman, kidnapped with her kids, putted in Bagram jail, sexually and physically tortured, for couple of years.
She's not a woman or human???
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A lot of lovemaking can unblock a stuffy nose! Dr. Choc
I have also seen this movie. There's nothing wrong with Sharia Law but it's missused by Ali (Soraya's husband) who wants to marry another young girl and Mullah Hussain who help Ali in this regards. Other people in this village don't knows about the truth behind this. Everybody in this village except Ali & Mullah Hussain knows that Soraya has extra marital sex with Hashem and she convicted with death penalty.
britexpat,
you can always join those who did so and consult it on line.
The problem is that none of us have really read the Islamic jurisprudence or understand the Shariah Law.
So taking these isolated cases and relating them to Shariah Law is not really feasible.
I understand that this law is untouchable and no Muslim is allowed to criticize it and therefore it would be impossible to carry on here with a partial debate. And that is why this will be my last comment on the issue.
However it contains requirements which remove individual freedom and even condemn (to death) certain individuals for their own nature.
This morning was watching a report on BBC about the action of Sharia Police in Banda Aceh and personally I found it really sad!
Here is a related article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6220256.stm
I totally agree with Olive, well said!!
She got stoned to death now what are you planning to do about it?
Nic/Olive, your criticism is your own opinion, coming from your culture and education...
Many of what happened is unrelated to the actual shariah, or a misuse of it.
It was one of the most powerful movies I have seen like in all countries mis use of power either by the way or religion or politics it happens all over the world. In the movie the husband finds a way to get rid of a wife to marry a younger lady.
So back to my original point about Shariah. Man people have to learn to read on this site.
"We submit to the majority because we have to. But we are not compelled to call our attitude of subjection a posture of respect." Ambrose Bierce
for your information, Sharia is not implementing in any of Muslim worlds...Nowadays shariah is not applied correctly because we are not practice it..
Sharia is applicable for all time and people because it can be moderate and developed through our scholars.
I'm not saying it isn't QatariGentel, but do you always think Shariah Law is applied correctly, or is it sometimes misused?
"We submit to the majority because we have to. But we are not compelled to call our attitude of subjection a posture of respect." Ambrose Bierce
there are Red lines you should not across at all..again you have to respect the facts..and sharia is always inspired from Qura'an and the Sunna...!!!
I wasn't criticizing Shariah Law, I was criticizing the way some people implement it.
"We submit to the majority because we have to. But we are not compelled to call our attitude of subjection a posture of respect." Ambrose Bierce
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7783627.stm
http://www.faithfreedom.org/islam/innocent-little-girl-stoned-death-being-victim-rape-cries-mercy-they-kill-her
The problem with Shariah Law is that it's misused by patriarchal societies and very often not applied by anyone with any kind of common sense. Give it to someone with half a brain & a sense of equality between men and women to use and it would be just as good a law system as any other.
"We submit to the majority because we have to. But we are not compelled to call our attitude of subjection a posture of respect." Ambrose Bierce
your tolerance should be a beacon of light for everyone... applause...
Shariah law might have been a good idea, many centuries ago in an illiterate and some how, violent society, but definitely not today in the XXI century in modern and civilized societies.
The problem is that it is protected by the followers by not allowing any criticism. No Muslim is allowed to question it and that is how it survives.