Jesus Mary and Joseph

[StoryJunkie]

Petition to stop child exectutions

I cannot imagine grown men facing this, let alone teenage girls!

Is there no end to the madness?

Article here

Nazanin Fatehi killed a would-be rapist in 2005 and was sentenced to death for premeditated murder. She would have joined about two-dozen other youngsters executed in the Islamic republic since 1990, according to Amnesty International, were it not for Nazanin Afshin-Jam, a Canadian singer born in Iran.

Please sign the petition because, fuck, if even one signature can stop the madness, let it be yours. As much as soul-reaping may excite me, this is not the way. not the way.

[EveKnight75]

This is the result of a bunch of madmen twisting Islam for their own purposes and making the soul of Muhammad cry.

I think I can get about 50 signatures for this straight off the bat.

[Oishiichan]

Signed and passed on!

[StoryJunkie]

I really appreciate this. I usually don't do such impulsive things and I am grateful to AFF Forum for this platform. I know things go on in the world like this and much worse atrocities, and I know that this is part of their religious beliefs, which I otherwise respect. I actually didn't even view the video stream until now, and to see the family's sorrow, I felt as if that was me experiencing their loss, although I have absolutely no comprehension whatsoever of what they must be going through.

[EveKnight75]

...I know that this is part of their religious beliefs, which I otherwise respect.

Comment does not compute... sifting through memory data banks... Comment still does not compute.

I'm a former Muslim (can't control which religion I'm born into), and this doesn't match what I've learned about Islam. I think this article is one of the clearer and more objective explanations that I could find (not easy, considering that we're talking about religion).

Capital Punishment in Islam

One of Islam's taglines could be "Mercy is divine.". According to the Koran, Muslims are allowed to serve the death penalty to murderers, but it's not encouraged. Rather, they're supposed to show the murderer whatever mercy is humanly possible, and try to go for a lesser punishment. Indeed, the death sentence is supposed to be used as a last resort.

In a case such as manslaughter or a defense killing, the death penalty shouldn't be brought into consideration at all. Whoever passed the sentence used Islam to justify it, but that's twisting the religion for personal purposes. It's sad but true all too often. In fact, the Islamic death penalty is supposed to be used on rapists!

On a lighter note, everyone I sent this to has agreed to sign and have told me that they're passing it on to the rest of their contacts, including several people who have relatives living in Iran. I usually don't send out chain letters but this was for a good cause.

[StoryJunkie]

My deepest apologies, I meant no disrespect. I guess my ignorance is shining through once again I have put my foot in my mouth. It is probably due to media coverage over the extremist view, which I understand is present in all religions.

[quamp]

I signed the petition; however, they left out the the country that I think should be the most ashamed of executing minors.

The United States of America.

Yes, in the USA, a number of minors have been legally declared adults during their trials, and then sentenced to death. Most of these people are in their late teens, but I know of a case where an 11-year-old was sentenced to death, right here in Texas.

Sadly, this trend is on the increase.

Aren't you Canadians glad you're government doesn't do that? (Well, if they do, they don't let anyone find out about it...)

[Guest Adara]

I signed the petition; however, they left out the the country that I think should be the most ashamed of executing minors.

The United States of America.

Yes, in the USA, a number of minors have been legally declared adults during their trials, and then sentenced to death. Most of these people are in their late teens, but I know of a case where an 11-year-old was sentenced to death, right here in Texas.

Sadly, this trend is on the increase.

Aren't you Canadians glad you're government doesn't do that? (Well, if they do, they don't let anyone find out about it...)

I signed the petition. I felt it was a good cause.

But, I cannot say that teenagers and pre-teens are incapable of adult actions.

I don't know about some of you, but if a pre-teen or teenager for that matter pre-conceived a plan to murder someone, hell, I want them tried as an adult. How many teenagers have we heard about going out joy riding while drunk, end up getting into a car accident, the innocent victim is killed, and his/her family is scarred forever?

I don't believe in having EVERY thoughtless mistake end in a death sentence, but I also don't believe in teenagers getting out of something practically unscathed, while those they hurt end up paying the price. We can't go on believing that teenagers are any more innocent than adults in this day in age. That's just as illogical as killing children for stealing candy from a corner store.

[foeofthelance]

IRC a minor can be sentenced to death in the United States, but can not be legally executed until they turn twenty one. Which by then they've most likely run the full gauntlet of appeals, and may or may not have seen a reduction in penalty. I don't think I've heard of a single minor being executed, and I'm sure something like that would have made the news.

[Guest Yhitzak]

You know... this is sad, but I really have to question the legitimacy of this petition for one reason alone: the involvement of Amnesty International. Take a look at the things that they actually do versus the things that they *talk* about doing. And take a look at their budget and how their donations get allocated. Realize that somewhere in the neighborhood of 80% of their funds go to overhead and administration.

I certainly won't say that child executions don't happen, aren't stupid, whatever, but this whole thing seems to be on the same level as -for example- legalizing marijuana; it's not going to happen unless smaller steps are taken, first. You want to point out the hypocrisy and negativity of executing minors? Let's talk about the Death Penalty on the whole. I fail to see how it is any better to execute an adult versus a minor if the same crime has been committed by both. The Death Penalty (both in America and outside of it) is nothing more than hypocrisy; the DP does not scare anyone into *not* committing a crime, as it was originally implemented to do.

Above and beyond everything else, this is just *one* person's account of a *single* situation, it's an article written from *one* perspective with the intention of getting you in your guts. This is an emotional and reactionary article, an emotional and reactionary petition, and there are very, very few facts presented in either venue. Such a case deserves representation by all sides, and only one side has been represented in this particular case.

As with virtually every other one of the news articles posted on this forum, one has to take into consideration the journalistic spin on the topic. And this one is most *definitely* spinning.

[quamp]

IRC a minor can be sentenced to death in the United States, but can not be legally executed until they turn twenty one. Which by then they've most likely run the full gauntlet of appeals, and may or may not have seen a reduction in penalty. I don't think I've heard of a single minor being executed, and I'm sure something like that would have made the news.

Executions happen all the time in the USA, and the media here is so blase about it that they don't bother reporting them, even if it is a child.

[Guest Adara]

Executions happen all the time in the USA, and the media here is so blase about it that they don't bother reporting them, even if it is a child.

Executions, or death sentences? Because honestly, I don't think the media would be blase over a child being executed no matter what the offence. The media wouldn't pass up a story like that, too much rating potential. &nsbp; &nsbp;

I'd say that you find some proof of it being otherwise, at least so that I can see what we've probably not been shown, if it is true that children are executed "all the time" in the USA.

[foeofthelance]

Hmmm, I googled it, and unfortunately it remains inconclusive. The United States did allow for the death penalty for juvenile offenders, but it never mentions if any of those offenders were executed will still a minor. It also said that the U.S. has since banned the death penalty for youthful offenders entirely, back in 2002. The cases in question were Thompson v. Oklahoma and Roper v. Simmons.

Looking it up on Wikipedia, it says the youngest (in the twentieth century) executed in the United States was George Stinney at the age of 14 in 1944, for the murder of two girls. (Though since Stinney was black, and the two girls were white and the entire event took place in South Carolina it has been suggested that the punishment was racially motivated. It was pointed out that there were lacks in the investigative and judicial processes, as well es evidence that Stinney couldn't have wielded the murder weapon, a twenty pound beam.) The last execution of a minor was the execution of Leonard Shockley at the age of 17 in 1959. Note: All summarized from Wikipedia.

To mug a decent quote and rob it blind: The United States might be one of the worst, most hypocritical nations in the world, but it's still the best of the lot.

[StoryJunkie]

hm. I basically took it to mean a gross meting out of justice. Mona was executed for teaching the Baha'i faith to children, but she willingly went last so that those executed ahead of her wouldn't have to wait so long to die. (She was also tortured) The girl of whom they speak in the article was on death-row for 2 years before she was bought off with what they call "blood money" and in the meantime she attempted suicide a few times. I mean, her life is ruined already and people will forever whisper about her. Because she killed her would-be rapist. yeah, I guess the details of each case can be lost in the basic outrage of the act of capital punishment.

"There, but for the grace of God, go I."

[Guest Agaib]

I signed it, mostly because I think that capital punishment is wrong period. When our judicial system is capable of one hundred percent accuracy I'll believe in capital punishment, but the killing of just one innocent person will never be worth the killing of even hundreds of guilty persons that are even already removed from society.

And those are optimistic numbers.