[thechat] A balance of opinion. - Iran

[Syed Zeeshan Haider]

From: "Madhu Menon"

> Go tell the stoned person that. :(
> Slow, painful, humiliating death isn't exactly 'humane' in my book; it's
> barbaric.

Yes it is! Consider a rapist being stoned to death. He is getting the reward of
what he did with his victim. Didn't he humiliate her? The discussion on this
punishment is very complex. Even for us, Muslims. There are some religious
scholars who say that this punishment must be replaced with other ways of death
sentences. Some say that the words "stoning to death" are symbolic words. They
simply mean "death" but not less than that. It IS inhumane to some extant but
not entirely, if you consider ALL circumstances needed for it. Yes, it's right
that it HAS been misused.
Anyhow, I have an open mind if any Islamic scholar provides me any solid Islamic
proof against it.

> <sarcasm> Oh what a heinous crime! </sarcasm>

No offence, it is your own (westernised) perspective of seeing such things.

> Sorry, I find that deplorable.

You DO have a basic human right of having different opinions.

> (And as I understand it, *any* sex out of marriage qualifies. You don't
> have to be married for that.)

Please explain your point in detail.

> >This punishment is NOT for women only.
>
> When was the last time a man was stoned for this "crime"?

Ironically, it's right. Mostly, women are the victims of such punishments. One
reason is that they provide the medical proofs of being engaged in sex. Second
reason is lack of understanding Islam and lack of investigation. It's worst that
in such cases, mostly women are the victims of sex rather than the criminals of
sex.

> Which man's? All men? As I've said earlier, there are plenty of uncovered
> women in this world, and I don't see a raping epidemic yet. I agree that it
> is the right of women to wear what they want, but let's not spin
> pseudo-scientific theories, eh?

I am not a biologist. But I have read the articles of different scientists who
strongly suggest that men's lust is generally more violent than that of women.
However, it can vary from person to person. There are women with violent lust
but they are very scarce. I know people who have been in contact with such women
(of course not sexually).
I would like to here from some biologist, if there is any in this list.
--
Syed Zeeshan Haider.
http://syedzeeshanhaider.faithweb.com/