Iranian woman blinded by acid demands an eye for an eye
By murderistic
@murderistic (2278)
United States
February 19, 2009 10:34am CST
Ameneh Bahrami was blinded by a man who wished to marry her and would not accept "no" as an answer. He threw acid on her and blinded her and severely scarred her face.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/02/19/acid.attack.victim/
[i]The 31-year-old Iranian is demanding the ancient punishment of "an eye for an eye," and, in accordance with Islamic law, she wants to blind Majid Movahedi, the man who blinded her.
Attack victims in Iran usually accept "blood money": a fine in lieu of harsh punishment. With no insurance and mounting medical bills, Bahrami could've used the cash, but she said no.
"I told the judge I want an eye for an eye," Bahrami said. "People like him should be made to feel my suffering." Watch how the acid destroyed Bahrami's eyes (includes graphic content) »
Bahrami's demand has outraged some human rights activists. Criticizing acid-attack victims is almost unheard of, but some Internet bloggers have condemned Bahrami's decision.
"We cannot condone such cruel punishment," wrote one blogger. "To willingly inflict the same treatment on a person under court order is a violation of human rights."
Late last year, an Iranian court gave Bahrami what she asked for. It sentenced Movahedi to be blinded with drops of acid in each eye. This month, the courts rejected Movahedi's appeal.
Bahrami's lawyer, Sarrafi, said the sentencing might be carried out in a matter of weeks. He said he doesn't think Bahrami will change her mind. Neither does Bahrami.
"If I don't do this and there is another acid attack, I will never forgive myself for as long as I live," she said. [/i]
What are your thoughts? Apparently she does not want to do it as revenge, but as an assurance that no man will ever do that in Iran again. Do you think an eye for an eye is justified in this case?
2 people like this
17 responses
@urbandekay (18278)
•
20 Feb 09
No, and it is an evil and barbaric legal system that supports such retribution, I do not believe her motives to be prevention as she states but purely revenge.
23And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
24Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
Sounds pretty harsh but read on...
26And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.
27And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.
A valid interpretation is that of, take no more than an eye for an eye. Under this reading it is an instruction not to barbarity but to leniency.
all the best urban
1 person likes this
@murderistic (2278)
• United States
20 Feb 09
That's true, and that's basically the same thing that they were saying the Quran says - you are allowed an eye for an eye but it is better to just forgive!
@allentcl82 (590)
• Singapore
20 Feb 09
Honestly, i cant believe this.. What the FXXX is the man thinking about in the first place? He love her, thats why he proposed to her, right? and when he was rejected, just smile and accept it as a man.. does disfiguring her makes him feel better? Or he have the "if i cant get her, no one can" mentality? Does this men seriously thinks that the lady belongs to her?
Although i do find that the punishment is cruel, i cant imagine that drops of acid being dipped into my eye.. -.-'' but this man really deserves it.. he does it first.. and he threw acid on her face.. not dipping acid, consider himself lucky..
@murderistic (2278)
• United States
20 Feb 09
He was probably thinking that if he couldn't have her he didn't want anyone else to have her either, and disfiguring her was a type of security. I don't think he actually thought it would make her want to be with him.
@sudiptacallingu (10879)
• India
20 Feb 09
Completely justified! Nobody will deny that all religions give a raw deal to women and while modern societies have evolved beyond the purview of religious bigotry and given women equal rights, most Muslim societies continue treating women as little more than personal possessions. In fact, I am quite surprised this brave lady has decided to knock the doors of court and the court has allowed her justice (as per Islam) against a man! You see many such incidents where women are regularly attacked with acids, beaten publicly, even honour killings…where are these human rights activists then? Many Muslims proclaim that Islam gives equal rights to women…till now I am yet to see it in practical situations…I think this is a step in the right direction to correct our misconceptions. Also, yes, it would be a correct signal to all those men out there who till now thought they could get away with anything as far as women were concerned, just because Islam was there to protect them in a distinctly patriarchal society.
1 person likes this
@6precious102 (4043)
• United States
22 Feb 09
This is a tough one for me. On one hand I think the punishment should fit the crime and maybe it will show other would be offenders that the courts aren't going to let people get away with this type of behavior thus causing them to think before doing what this man did. On the other hand, while I do think he should be punished, this seems extreme.
1 person likes this
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
20 Feb 09
I believe Gandhi said it well "If we continue with an eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth, the entire world will be blind and toothless". There is no need for this. We have no need for violence. And we certainly do not have need for a man to do this to a woman simply because she does not wish to marry him. It is just a sad state of human kind. We have so much to learn about being compassionate beings.
Namaste-Anora
1 person likes this
@murderistic (2278)
• United States
20 Feb 09
I agree 100%. And I believe it was Jesus who said "You have heard it said, `an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, do not set yourself in violent or revengeful resistance against an evildoer." (Matthew 5:38) I am surprised to see so many Christians okay with this.
@Foxxee (3651)
• United States
20 Feb 09
If someone was to do this to me... I'm sure I would want them to feel the pain they caused me & I would probably want the "EYE for an EYE" policy!
The whole thing with the acid in the face has been going on for several years over there & something needs to be done...
I don't know...
Just put yourself in her situation I guess...
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
24 Feb 09
I think that this only confirms that Muslims are a bloodthirsty lot even to their own.
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
19 Feb 09
The statement in the Torah "an eye for an eye" was not meant to be taken literally. The oral law teaches and judges that there must be "equal compensation for the damage done to a person". So if he scarred and blinded her and made it so she could never marry and have children and support herself, then he must compensate her financially to the extent that he has damaged her whole life. That would in fact be a much better punishment than blinding him. He also should do jail time as is the custom in this day.
Considering the country it happened in, it is unlikely that she will receive the compensation that she deserves.
Shalom~Adoniah
@murderistic (2278)
• United States
20 Feb 09
Actually, that is how it usually works in Iran, they call it "Blood money." But she refused the money because she wanted him physically punished.
@goldeneagle (6745)
• United States
20 Feb 09
I heard about this on CNN this morning and I have to say that I support it totally. I think he should have the same thing done to him, however there is one part of the whole deal that I DISAGREE with...the report said that he was going to be put to sleep when they did it, just like if he were having surgery or something. I say to hell with that. Do it while he is fully awake so that he hurts and burns and suffers just the way she did when he did that to her. Tape his damn eye lids open and pour the acid in them...
1 person likes this
@zhuuraan (961)
• United States
20 Feb 09
I think this is just punishment.
People wanna argue human rights? What about the human rights of the woman? I've said it before and I'll say it again. People who violate the human rights of others have in essence voided their own. Therefore, they get what's coming to them.
I am legally blind and my fiance is totally blind. Both of us are due to conditions from when we were young. However we both know full well that a blind person can still live a wholesome life and be a valuable contribution to their community.
However, what this man did to the woman is nothing short of torture and I think an eye for an eye, especially in this case, is what the man deserves.
@murderistic (2278)
• United States
20 Feb 09
I think he deserves it, too, but I don't know... to me that still doesn't make it right to do that.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
19 Feb 09
Hi Murderistic! I just watched the story about this on CNN and, as cruel as the punishment is, I think I agree with Ameneh Bahrami. This man was not a suiter...he was a stalker who she rejected from the start. He threatened her repeatedly before he attacked her. She's now horribly disfigured and will remain so for the rest of her life. In my opinion this man is dangerous, not only to other women but also to Ameneh, so if he's not going to be in prison for the rest of his life, he shouldn't get off so easy. Let him feel the pain she felt and let him live with the disabilities she has to live with every day of her life.
@murderistic (2278)
• United States
19 Feb 09
Honestly, even though I think he DESERVES it, I couldn't have it in my heart to actually practice that type of punishment. Maybe it's because I am a Christian and she is not, so I cannot really judge her in that aspect. But I just can't stop thinking about this story... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19070816/ an American woman who basically had the same exact thing happen to her ended up falling in love and marrying the man who blinded her years later.
@katran (585)
• United States
19 Feb 09
I think she is completely justified, and it actually pisses me off that human rights activists would get up in arms about her demand for him to be punished while they don't say anything about the way women are treated in the Middle East on a day to day basis. I think it is wonderful that she is standing up for herself and other Iranian women in demanding that he be punished. In some countries in the Middle East it probably would not even be recognized that he did something wrong. Maybe if they start giving harsher punishments to Middle Eastern men who abuse/rape/kill women then the LARGER human rights issue would get taken care of.
@katran (585)
• United States
19 Feb 09
Yes, women are abused everywhere, but the difference is that it is not normal/okay in most places. In Islamic nations (on average) women have absolutely no rights, and men can get away with the kind of things that this man did. I did read the link that you gave above, and while it is an interesting story, no one in America is in danger of thinking that man did a good thing. In fact, even though the woman married him, many people probably would still react to that by saying he is crazy. In general though, women in Middle Eastern countries have less protections that women in other countries, and I think if this man is made an example of it will be a step on the path to possibly making Middle Eastern men think twice before they beat or rape their wives.
@murderistic (2278)
• United States
20 Feb 09
But does that make it right to give him a greater punishment than he would get in the US? He is still a person and it is the same crime, despite culture and what other people around him do.
@djemba (767)
• India
20 Feb 09
it is really sad that the blogger community is condemning Bahrami to not do this action which will perhaps make the conservative society over there atleast sensitive on the issues of woman and the security the state imposes for woman, as a fact the act carried out by the rejected suitor was one of total arrogance and needs a very harsh punishment.
@dorisday1971 (5657)
• Philippines
19 Feb 09
Love is blind and love can make people can be blind too. . What a tragic story. That's the worst revenge I have ever heard of. that guy must be sick and deperate to get the woman. Too bad for him, he will take the consequence.
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
19 Feb 09
I'm just stunned! 
I'm just stunned that some humans would be so cruel as to throw acid in someone's face. Horrible, just horrible!
What is amazing is that she has recovered somewhat and is still able to smile. What a woman!
I don't know how to answer the justification question. But in Iran they have such a law and she is within her right to have the full measure of the law applied.
I'm just stunned that some humans would be so cruel as to throw acid in someone's face. Horrible, just horrible!
What is amazing is that she has recovered somewhat and is still able to smile. What a woman!
I don't know how to answer the justification question. But in Iran they have such a law and she is within her right to have the full measure of the law applied. @saffrondreams (596)
• Canada
19 Feb 09
I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, I don't think "an eye for an eye" is ever justified, but on the other, he's a scumbag who's getting what he deserves. I'm just glad that they're not letting him get away with doing such a horrific thing to that woman.
