Since I saw this picture, I have been in a state of shock and cannot help but wonder about the reasons behind such an act. It’s not possible to imagine such blatant disregard for all the protests against so many executions in the country. The Judiciary, besides not changing its attitude in the face of all these protests over death sentences and executions, has also made the enactment of these inhuman verdicts public and is inviting the people to witness it.
The death sentence is a violent and inhuman verdict, and carrying out the execution is also an inhuman act, but inviting people to watch the execution is tantamount to spreading violence and institutionalizing it in the minds of the members of the society. Through such an act, the Judiciary has clearly indulged in spreading violence.
No ticket is issued for the violent act and it is not even carried out indoors. Some children and or young people, with their parents or alone, may go to witness the scene. What an impact it would leave on their minds! Witnessing the death of a person at the hand of another person cannot be justified by any moral, human, or legal norms. And what positive outcome could it possibly have for the viewers? The purpose is nothing but to create intimidation and fear and to further violence and oppression in society. What they want to say openly is that they will deal in this way with criminals, and even with their opponents.
Who is the one to decide whether someone has fought against God, on the basis of which death sentences are awarded? Who says that you are God's representative on Earth and can act on His behalf and take someone's life, which God has given to him? In which countries is carrying out executions publicized on billboards? It only happens in Iran.
If we look at Iranian cities, we won’t find a single billboard publicizing a book. IRIB [Iran’s state broadcaster] doesn't advertize any books. The national media doesn’t advertize even a single book shop from all across Iran, but there are advertizing posters on the walls across the city inviting people to come and watch the execution of those who have fought against God. But, in the same country and in the very same province of Khuzestan, you have to pay a lot of money to the municipality if you want to publicize your book on a billboard.
In a country where books are either censored or are denied permission to be published; in a country where newspapers are banned and journalists are put in prison; and where radio and television have never advertized one single book; in a country where there are only three or four standard theater; where some of the cities are not even equipped with a single bookshop or cinema; in a country where libraries are destroyed and prayer halls are constructed instead (one of the acts of Ahmadinejad during his time as the mayor of Tehran); in a country where bookstore-cafes are shut down because they are a meeting place; in a country where books can be banned even after publication and films are denied screening permissions even after their production, people are invited to come and watch executions in the open.
Source: Madyar
No comments:
Post a Comment