With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil — but for good people to do evil — that takes religion.
Steven Weinberg
The Stoning Of Soraya M is a movie based on the true story of an Iranian woman who was falsely accused of adultery and stoned to death by the men in her village. The penalty was carried out according to Islamic Sharia law.
According to SkyNews the government of Iran is infuriated that such a film would be shown in theaters in the Western world. I can't imagine why Iran would be upset, but if they really are infuriated then there's a very simple way to ensure that such films will never need to be made again.
There are reports that some European governments are trying to ban the movie. That's despicable. I hope those governments will soon be identified so we'll know which countries tourists should avoid.
Meanwhile, in spite of the fact that I am a non-violent person, I would be happy to see those Iranian men buried in sand up to their waist while a few hundred Iranian women looked on. It would be convenient if there was a big pile of rocks nearby. I'd like there to be a female doctor nearby to make sure that the men don't die—at least not for several days.
[Hat Tip: RichardDawkins.net]
5 comments :
The film scene is quite reminiscent of a similar one from the movie "Zorba the Greek". There, a woman was killed by men from the village for adultery (one of the men was a guy who hoped to marry her). This was a film about Greece (or was it Crete?). Anyway, they were no doubt all Christians and Eastern Orthodox. The point here is that I doubt any European governments considered banning "Zorba".
Even the trailer is very very disturbing; almost wish I hadn't forced myself to watch it. But having seen it I wouldn't wish that kind of death on anyone - even the stoners. I feel angry and yet at the same time the full force of that parable about casting the first stone has come to me.
Best way to get it to go viral is to ban it.
I don't quite understand the mentality of "we're OK with stonings, but please don't make a movie pointing out what we're OK with."
Stoning is one of those things (like flogging and slavery) that have no place in the modern world.
The problem here is that getting rid of it in other cultures will trigger violence. An additional problem is that so many other issues that trigger warfare are also present.
These issues along with stoning are of the type that are worth waging war to eliminate and/or to defend. (In this way, these issues resemble slavery)
No wonder no peace has been possible. This war has a long way to go before it is over.
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