In what way does the stoning of females assure moral virtue when the nature of her crime may be nebulous at best, or even utterly unsubstantiated? The root of this question may very well lie in the myth of male superiority and the inordinate need for female subordination. Women are property and property is inanimate. Compassion for property is superfluous.
“Adultery is the act of intercourse…between a man and a woman who are forbidden to each other, unless the act is committed unwittingly.” Article 63 of Iran Penal Code
Adultery is probably the most prevalent reason for stoning. Unfortunately, the accusation alone is often enough. The victim’s family members and children may be forced to attend.
Pregnant women found guilty of adultery must give birth before they are stoned.
Rape victimsare viewed as unclean after the fact -- not only having been violated and therefore now unsuitable for marriage -- but often suspected as having acted as “temptress,” provoking the attacker from the start.
Claim of rape must be validated by three male witnesses, an unlikely scenario.
Mob mentality created by death by stoning provides that no single individual is responsible for the death. It is a communal torture sentence as well as a death sentence.
David Hearne, author ofHulagu's Web, reveals an element of blood-sport in executions by stoning, not dissimilar to the gladiators of Rome.
“A spray of blood and spit now accompanies her cries of pain… the crowd comes to enjoy a good stoning and thrives off of it. In this fashion, stoning is no longer a form of punishment, rather a form of entertainment…a social event that becomes more of a religious sport than a true act of moral self-righteousness.”
ABC’s of stoning
a) Bury the accused in the sand in an area with good visibility to the crowd -- waist-high for males, shoulder-high for females. (Shrouds may, or may not, be utilized.)
b) Stimulate a frenzy of bloodlust by chanting religious rhetoric. Nothing fuels a fire like righteous indignation.
c) Bring your own rocks. Make sure they’re small enough to do serious damage but not big enough to kill in just a few blows. Maximum agony, minimum compassion. Make it last at least 10 to 20 minutes.
Stoning may very well be the most ancient form of execution; it is likely that “Stone Age” dwellers cast stones to execute clansmen accused of seditious behaviour, violation of tribal taboos, or possession by malevolent spirits. Enduring through hundreds of thousands of years, and practiced by the ancient Judaic culture in the Old Testament, it is almost inconceivable that such a barbaric practice continues in our modern world. Nevertheless, it is still part of fundamental Shari’ah Law in the Middle East and in some sub-Saharan African countries. Stoning has never been legal in the United States, although some say the “United States Constitution and its judicial system are in danger of being sabotaged…” *
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