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I visited Lisa Bevere's blog today and was horrified to read about a woman in Iran who has been sentenced to death by stoning. You can read more about her story that was posted by guardian.co.uk here and more here.
Lisa Bevere says in her post:
Dear Friends,
A woman in Iran urgently needs your prayers & your influence. Her children need your compassion and active voice. Proverbs charges us to speak up for those who have no voice. A women condemned to die in an Iranian prison is virtually voiceless. Her son and daughter are praying and pleading that the world’s community would lift their voices and stop the cruel execution of their innocent mother.
(see their letter below)
It is hard to imagine the possibility of a woman being stoned still exists...sadly it does.They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”John 8:7 NLT.
This situation demands an answer. Will we stand up and rise to the question.I believe you will pause long enough to stop these stones from flying. What if this was your mother? Sister? Or daughter? How would you want others to respond?
Prayer? Yes certainly pray! But what of those with the power to do more? Wouldn’t you hope (and pray) intent and action would be added to prayer?
May each individual, family, community, church and organization do what is in their power. You are more powerful than you know.
Her children have sent out a global appeal for help? Will you help Sakine Mohammadi? It will only take you a few minutes to cut and paste, add your details and help her. Don't just shake your head and say "how terrible" and then walk away and do nothing. It'll only take you a few minutes. Will you help Sakine Mohammadi?
Two things to do:
1) Please send the sample letters adjusted per your preferences to the targeted recipients
2) Please send the children’s letter to your local newspaper with an explanation of why we need to support these children and take a stand against execution in Iran.
LETTER FROM THE CHILDREN OF SAKINE MOHAMMADI:
Do not allow our nightmare become a reality,
Protest against our mother’s stoning!
Today we stretch out our hands to the people of the whole world. It is now five years that we have lived in fear and in horror, deprived of motherly love. Is the world so cruel that it can watch this catastrophe and do nothing about it?
We are Sakine Mohammadi e Ashtiani’s children, Farideh and Sajjad Mohamamadi e Ashtiani. Since our childhood we have been acquainted with the pain of knowing that our mother is imprisoned and awaiting a catastrophe. To tell the truth, the term “stoning” is so horrific that we try never to use it. We instead say our mother is in danger, she might be killed, and she deserves everyone’s help.
Today, when nearly all options have reached dead-ends, and our mother’s lawyer says that she is in a dangerous situation, we resort to you. We resort to the people of the world, no matter who you are and where in the world you live. We resort to you, people of Iran, all of you who have experienced the pain and anguish of the horror of losing a loved one.
Please help our mother return home!
We especially stretch our hand out to the Iranians living abroad. Help to prevent this nightmare from becoming reality. Save our mother. We are unable to explain the anguish of every moment, every second of our lives. Words are unable to articulate our fear…
Help to save our mother. Write to and ask officials to free her. Tell them that she doesn’t have a civil complainant and has not done any wrong. Our mother should not be killed. Is there any one hearing this and rushing to our assistance?
Farideh and Sajjad Mohammadi e Ashtiani
Translation: Mission Free Iran
Disseminated by the Committee Against Stoning
Mina Ahadi
+49 177 569 2413
Here are some sample emails and letters from Mission Free Iran.
SAMPLE LETTER TO NAVI PILLAY, UN High Commissioner for the Office of Human Rights:
Send to: npillay@ohchr.org, with copies to: urgent-action@ohchr.org, saneif@hrw.org
Dear Ms. Pillay,
I am writing to you with an urgent demand that you intervene with the authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran, who are preparing to execute by stoning Sakine Mohammadi e Ashtiani. Stoning is a barbaric form of torture and execution that should be outlawed worldwide. It is your responsibility to step in and demand a halt to these proceedings.
The children of Ms. Mohammadi e Ashtiana have written a letter in her defense, and have issued a call to the world asking for help. Their letter is here; I suggest you read it, and then act according to their heartrending demands.
http://missionfreeiran.wordpress.com/2010/06/26/sakine-children-2
Sincerely,
[your name]
* * * * *
SAMPLE LETTER TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS:
Send to: Florian Westphal (fwestphal@icrc.org) and Dorothea Krimitsas (dkrimitsas@icrc.org)
Dear Ms. Westphal and Ms. Krimitsas,
I am writing to you with an urgent request that you intervene with the authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran, who are preparing to execute by stoning Sakine Mohammadi e Ashtiani. Stoning is a barbaric form of torture and execution that should be outlawed worldwide. Multilateral organizations have thus far refused to step in and put a halt to the criminal actions perpetrated by the Islamic Republic. Your mandate encourages your organization to undertake the work of visiting prisoners in situations of internal violence, where the Geneva Conventions do not apply. I ask you to step in and demand a halt to these and other ongoing criminal and barbaric proceedings in the Islamic Republic.
The children of Ms. Mohammadi e Ashtiana have written a letter in her defense, and have issued a call to the world asking for help. Their letter is here; please read it, and then act according to their heartrending demands.
http://missionfreeiran.wordpress.com/2010/06/26/sakine-children-2
Sincerely,
[your name]
———–
Will you help Sakine Mohammadi?
Still taking lessons from the King,
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