Stoning Women Increases

On Friday July 18, 2014 the stoning of women began in Syria.

The stoning death is reportedly the first execution by stoning the the Syrian Province of Raqa by the Islamic State (IS) organization in the country. The charge was adultery.

The reports state that the family of the woman were uninformed of the swift plan for the execution, which was conducted in a public square. Other media reports state that IS is taking over many sections of land and large stores of weapons in Iraq.

Some thoughts produced on this HubMob topic have been a hyperbole of the expression that certain groups of beings should not be afforded equal rights - or any rights at all. In professional experience, I've most often found that an overstatement of this belief foreshadows taking the attitude up the food chain against humans. This is disturbing.

To counter the tendency toward animal maltreatment, humane societies, rescue organizations, county animal control departments, and other organizations advocate, patrol, rescue domestic and wildlife, and even arrest human perpetrators.

Animal programs on television help as well, bringing awareness to viewers. Animal Planet network provides many of these shows, although local broadcasting offers their own in towns around the nation. Progress is being made.

It is understandable that, say, a college student with an aging pet dog cannot afford $800 for exploratory surgery on the pet and must authorize euthanasia. It is another attitude that seeps out of a statement that one will do as one pleases with any animal in one's care, and it is no one else's businesses.

This is disturbing in that the chain of abusive actions that can, in the end, lead to murder, one human of another, sometimes begins with animal abuse. Regardless, It is a marker for future disaster in a child or adult that displays it. Self defense and hunting for food are not issues in this behavior --

If any here have seen a squirrel or rabbit stoned to death for no reason by teens or others that say, "It's only a squirrel" - you may understand. I think there is no reason to stone an animal unless it is inescapably charging in attack with intent to kill or eat you/anyone and cannot be stopped by less drastic means. Insects are stepped on everyday - this is not what we're talking about. Purposely harming animals without reason is wantonly destructive.

On another level, stoning adults and children (why?) as a form of execution is primitive, though culturally accepted, and the International Committee Against Stoning advocates to prevent the practice. In fact, the ICAS counsels that it is not cultural, but only an artifact of government.

One of the popular science fiction TV shows once portrayed a "perfect" middle class American town with no problems. In the minds of the residents, their town was maintained as perfect, only because they sacrificed one of themselves to a stoning death every year.

The final scenes included a camera closeup from within the center of a circle of residents preparing to stone the latest victim. The episode says a lot about present and past culture and belief and is disturbing. It can be a good point for starting a conversation.

During the initial week of this HubMob topic, the ICAS announced through spokesperson Mina Ahadi on December 9, 2010 that two people were saved from a stoning execution. This was encouraging, particularly since the week before, a woman was stoned to death despite pleas that she not be stoned. Iran is one place in which stoning has been acceptable. To many in other parts of the world and even in Iran, the crimes committed do not justify stoning, or any execution. In fact, many do not feel that any crimes were committed - e.g. not wearing a veil. It is a difficult circumstance.

In the latest victory, a woman and her son, as well as two German journalists were freed by Iran. People over the world expressed pleas and requests for their release with the help of a Facebook page for the ICAS and are very happy with the result. The woman and her son are Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani and Sajad Ghaderzadeh.

For those that are interested in protesting stoning or all executions in general, visit the links below.

My concern in this movement is fueled by an incident in Ohio in recent years. An Islamic family, by tradition, supported brothers' knife wounding, possibly attempted murder, of their sister after an unrelated man saw the skin of her arm. A local judge upheld the family's right to do so. This is disturbing.