In 2004 Ameneh Bahrami, an Iranian woman, rejected a man's multiple marriage proposals, only to have him throw a jar of acid in her face and blind her. Four years later, an Iranian court has sentenced the 27-year-old attacker to be blinded, calling on the Islamic law of "qias" or equivalence.
BBC reports that Ameneh, who lost one eye and was otherwise significantly disfigured, received reconstructive face surgery in Europe; but doctors could not bring back her sight. She told the court that since the attack, she has lived in fear, and she pleaded that the man who blinded her face the same fate. The court followed her wishes.
Iranian officials hope the retributive sentence will prevent future acid attacks. Does this punishment bring the victim and society down to the criminal's level, or is it only fair that he feel the pain she does?
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Usually I'm against that sort of punishment because it's horribly backwards but you know what? Acid throwing is absolutly hateful, it just gets me more than other types of crimes. I'd trow him into an acid vat myself if I could. The pain he's caused, he'll only "understand" this way, no life in prison or death sentence is that horrible.
1HE DESERVES IT. I have no pity for him. They should throw acid at him too.
2I guess this is a true case of an eye for an eye. It's hard to say that I'm glad about the results, because it's greusome. But it's certainly nice to see that the law is acting strongly in favor of abused women.
3It's nice to see that the law isn't entirely biased and is being properly applied to both sexes.
I don't think the man should get an appeal, though. I mean OBVIOUSLY he's going to protest losing his sight for the rest of his life. But she didn't have a chance to appeal HER blinding when HE threw acid on her out of hatred and spite.
How exactly are they going to make sure that he's blinded, though? As I understand the law, he's going to have the same thing that he did to her done to him (throw acid on him); is that *definitely* going to blind him? What about just taking his eyes out surgically (or otherwise, he'd deserve it)just to be sure?
4While I appreciate the sentiment, this doesn't sit right with me. The man should be imprisoned for a very long time, if not the rest of his life, but blinding him (however the actual blinding is done) seems to be taking one step past 'justice' and into 'revenge'.
5I think it's a little extreme to say that he shouldn't get an appeal. The justice process should not be rushed just because people are mad about the horrible acts committed. We need to make sure the right person is being punished for the right crime in the right manner.
6BLIND AND TOOTHLESS!!!!!11
7it's definitely fair but that doesn't mean it's right.
8Wow. I think this is a little barbaric, but I have to wonder-- how will this sentence be carried out? Acid in the face? The article didn't specify.
9There is no question here that this sentence will serve to quench the vindictive thirst of a women who has had her beauty and the gift of sight stolen from her by one mans profound ignorance.
Exacting revenge may ease a sickness caused by anger and hurt but in my opinion it simply transfers that sickness from the physical mind to the soul. It may no longer strap you psychologically but it will certainly impede the enlightenment of ones soul which is the whole point of life. She is free to make her own choices and I feel that in this instance she surrendered her better self.
10I think this is really inhumane, but there is a big part of me happy to see some sort of "justice" done. You hear so many stories about these types of charges and crimes being thrown out of court and ignored.
11I agree with margokhal; though the punishment is gruesome, I am glad to see that there is at least equality of the sexes here, especially in Iran.
12This is actually not that surprising, coming out of Iran. They take their laws seriously, if a man or woman breaks the laws prescribed to them then both sexes are punished pretty harshly.
I've read around about them, and it seems like they are not like Saudi Arabia or other places where women are completely powerless and men run wild - sure it is not "equal" by our standards, but I was surprised to see both sexes have clothing restrictions, men who harass women, enter "women only" areas, or abuse the rights given to women in any way (such as the groping seen in Egypt and Brazil lately) are severely punished.
13he's a total jerkwad jones and has it coming to him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
14On gut instinct, I would say 'blind the bastard'! But if I were to be reasonable about it, I would say sentence him to prison for a very long time. Even blinded, I would fear that he'd seek further revenge.
15I agree with michelin that it seems more like revenge, but I'm okay with that. he deserves it.
16It is harsh, but frankly, it's equal, and I think it would definitely be a deterrent for others who think they could similarly inflict harm on a woman and get away with it with their body unmarred. She has to spend the rest of her life without sight, so why should he just go to prison but, once he's out, get to see a world she can never see again because of him? This punishment is more fitting. I mean, he threw acid in her face and blinded her...he thought he could play God?
17Nuh uh.
I, too, wonder how they shall cause his blindness?
Organic!! FUNNY!! I agree, blind and toothless! What a jerk to hate rejection so much to take someone's eye sight? That's horrible! In this case, I'm excited about he too, being blinded. The nerve of that guy...........
18I like the idea. Eye for an eye isn't compasionate, but it dispenses justive equitably. I hope they blind him with acid.
19Honestly, I'd much rather see eye for an eye type punishment instead of the death penalty because I don't think me paying my tax dollars to confine someone with cable, decent food options, as well as structured activity time and schooling is a good enough punishment for destroying someone else's life. After all, how are they going to learn their lesson if they never have gone through it.
Meaning, if you shoot someone, you should be non-fatally shot, and denied any kind of painkillers. It sounds terrible, but hey, he'd learn how it felt. Then give him a bit of prison time. He may try to seek revenge after, but I bet you it will deter other people. I'd rather have 1 crazy person instead of a world of crazies that think they can get away with it.
So yea, blind the bastard!
20My heart goes out to this woman - I can't imagine the way her life is altered now since this attack. I don't know how I feel about the punishment but it makes me want him to feel her pain. I don't know if blinding him will make him feel the injustice or just make him bitter in the end and vengeful.
21I'm seriously disturbed by this. I thought justice was created to avoid revenge, the "an eye for an eye" theory, so I don't get how this is a good thing. Furthermore, if we go that way, how are we gonna treat rapists and other kinds of criminels like that ? Ok, now just to think of that, i'm not disturbed, i'm disgusted. There's so many things wrong here.
22I'm torn on this one. In some ways the punishment does fit the crime, but on the other hand, I agree with Mich about it perhaps going one step past justice and on to revenge.
23We're too soft on criminals as it is. If more people understood what the consequences of their actions would be, maybe that would be more of a deterrent
24I agree with hypnotic. I have never agreed with revenge or an eye for an eye. I am so sorry this woman suffered such a horrible tragedy and lost so much. And I feel sorry for her that she is still carrying around such pain and bitterness from it. I hope she finds peace and healing soon.
25I have no problem with this. wish we would do it here.
26When I read this I cheered- then I calmed down and tried to see this rationally. I know it is justified after what he did but where do we draw the line. I don't think jail is by any means "soft". I prefer our system of justice, however "weak" it may seem. These countries are very hard on their criminals yet it doesn't seem to deter similar crimes occurring - to me that is the biggest indicator of how even tougher consequences are not the solution.
27Ladychaos, your post doesn't make sense. The death penalty is the ultimate 'eye for an eye' punishment. You take a life, so you have yours taken. The situation you described isn't an 'eye for an eye', it's torture.
28I have to say I can't decide how I feel about this.
On the one hand, "eye for an eye" seems so simplistic and barbaric, the kind of thing people like to assume they are past in a modern civilization.
On the other hand - well...its easy for me to say that but I have to admit the kind of rage I feel towards situations where this kind of thing happens makes me WANT to do the same thing to the guy.
Its only human, I suppose. That, or I watched "The Burning Bed" too many times and it's scarred me forever. Violence against women in any form (or men, for that matter) is just so abhorrent to me that I feel trapped between wanting to kick his ass into meaty shreds versus something more comprehensive and mental/emotionally focused. But CAN you - or should you - rehabilitate people that do things like this? Should people have to pay for them for the rest of their lives?
I suppose in my mind whatever is handed down should be a definitive punishment, in the EYES of the culture in which it happens. That is to say, whatever it ends up being, that punishment alone is ultimately a dead-end if it doesn't also help to yield some sort of change in the society that allows this bull**it to happen in the first place...part deterrent, part shift in thinking.
I'm rambling. I know.
I just can't make up my mind.
29Wow...I somehow hope that all those other acid throwing bastards get the message! He deserves what he is going to get. That and imprisonment for life to ensure he doesn't seek further vengeance. If he was crazy enough to throw acid in the first place, he is probably crazy enough to do something else again.
30wow. Usually I would be so against this but in this situation I really feel for the victim. I think it's only because it's a woman though, and in that case I am totally guilty of perpetuating a double standard. Acid crimes against women are so common though, why is it so easy to get? How is it that people honestly think it's ok? At least this shows that the government doesn't think so, and hopefully it will bring crime down.
How far does the eye for an eye law go, does anybody know? I know that depending on the country you are in it is carried out even if the crime is an accident, and in others they take "intent" into account. But for example, if somebody kills someone's daughter, is his daughter killed in return? Where is the line drawn?
31I remember reading once about a man who was punished for allowing his son to have a relationship with a woman of a different caste. His punishment? He had to watch his daughter get gang raped. Didn't seem very eye for an eye to me, and it didn't seem like the correct people were being punished (and it goes without saying that it didn't seem like much of a crime). That was very likely in a different country, but I remembered it because I was so horrified.
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