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A Young Iranian Watches The Stoning of Soraya M.

Wednesday, 07. 22. 2009 – by Laleh

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When I told my Iranian father that Irshad invited us to watch the “Stoning of Soraya M.” on her personal MacBook, I knew he would want to come with me. We had seen the film’s star, Shohreh Aghdashloo, promote the movie many times on "Tapesh," a popular channel for Iran’s diaspora. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity for some father-daughter bonding, since my Persian-speaking father and I don’t have many opportunities to hang out together.

We watched the movie shortly after the Iranian election results had been announced. Riots were already taking place in Tehran. The government had banned the Internet and text messaging. There were only two ways that Iranians could tell the world what was happening — first, by connecting to the Internet through proxy servers and second, by phoning people outside of Iran (with the risk that conversations would be wire-tapped).

We’re talking about Iran in 2009, not 1979!

Little did I know that "The Stoning" would confirm this truth: Iran today has transformed into a victim like Soraya, the beautiful young woman killed in this film. I suppose I should not be shocked. A patriarchal society that condones injustices against humanity will ultimately become the target of injustice itself.

As we begin watching the movie, I notice that my father’s eyes are glued to the screen. We see how a husband abuses his status as a man in Iran to plot against his wife, for he wants a younger wife and no financial burden of a divorcée. We see how a cleric, who is supposed to be God’s voice on earth in Shiite Islam, damages the name of God and the religion of Islam.

I think back two thousand years to Talmudic times in ancient Babylon and Israel. I recall how the Rabbis used their reasoning to ban stoning, even in the case of adultery, which is one of the biggest crimes in Judaism. Long ago, even the Rabbis knew that without their reasoning, the name of God and the spirit of the Bible would be corrupted.

Interestingly enough, in Shiite Islam, mullahs have the opportunity to use ijtihad, or independent reasoning, to arbiter a case. Ijtihad can allow Islam, like Judaism, to be a religion that constantly evolves yet simultaneously remains true to its roots.

But in “The Stoning of Soraya M,” the mullah not only lets innocent blood be shed; he actually helps the husband carry out his deceitful intentions. The mullah even proposes to Soraya a sigheh, or temporary marriage, which is equivalent to prostitution in Iran. News reports have documented the rise of this phenomenon in Iran. It’s not, as some skeptics would wish, a Hollywood fantasy.

An hour in, we are engrossed in the film. But my father, the sensitive man he is, and I, someone who can’t stand the sight of blood, turn away as the stoning scenes begin. My father holds his heart and lowers the computer screen. “Let’s go home,” he whispers to me.

“Daddy joon, I will skip over this part, I promise.” I realize the irony of it all. We, as a comfortable minority in America, have the privilege of closing our eyes to the cruel act of stoning. Meanwhile, Soraya, part of an Iranian majority known as women, doesn’t have a chance of escaping the deep hole in which she has been buried.

Then, I realize something more. What happened to Soraya as an individual is happening to the Iranian people as a collective. Soraya’s aunt narrates the story, putting her life at risk because, as she exclaims, “the world must know!”

As I write this, the Iranian people are being robbed of their voice, and the whole world knows. Now that we know, what will we do?

Related Posts:

Families should block stones, not throw them. (60%)
When one woman is stoned we are all at risk. (57.5%)
Is President Carter the new feminist-in-chief? (56.9%)
How I felt when I saw The Stoning of Soraya M. (RANDOM - 52.1%)

6 responses to “A Young Iranian Watches The Stoning of Soraya M.”

Janice says:
July 20th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Dear Laleh,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with our readers. You have such a wonderful perspective. My favorite part of the piece: Now that we know, what will we do?
Thank you for taking the time to DO.
Your father sounds like a sweet man, I am glad he was able to watch the film.
AJHance says:
July 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
I think it is great your father watched the film and seemed to be greatly affected. I would love to hear more male reactions to the film. The men that I know who have seen the film have all been very affected by it. It's vital that men are aware of these issues and why it is so important for them to have compassion about them. Women are a large part of men's lives and if women are empowered society as a whole feels the benefits.

Janice Reply:
July 21st, 2009 at 4:11 pm
@AJHance, I agree with you completely. In fact, I am going to dedicate my posts this week to the issue of men and violence. I hope to hear from more men myself.
The Zombieslayer says:
July 21st, 2009 at 10:56 pm
I probably would have looked away too. I just checked the showtimes at Berkeley and it doesn't seem to be playing there any more unfortunately.

Janice Reply:
July 22nd, 2009 at 10:36 am
@The Zombieslayer, The movie may not be playing in Berkeley but it just opened in several more California theaters. Make sure to check the theaters listing on our homepage to see if it is at a nearby town. I was actually jealous of California when I saw how many theaters the film was opening in! I hope you get to see it and tell us if you covered you eyes or not
Laleh says:
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Janice, AJ Hance, The Zombieslayer, thank you for your comments.

I also think it's important that men are sensitive to issues relating to women's rights. In more traditional cultures, I strongly believe that it's education that will break barriers–but sometimes, I wonder whether or not merely education will do. Women in Iran can go to university, and I'm certain that many things happen between women and men behind closed doors. However, a woman can still be stoned for committing adultery.

Who is today's voice of change? From what I see, a major voice of change today comes from musicians ranging from Youssou N'Dour in Senegal to Rafi Naabzadeh in Afghanistan. These are the people that are capable of moving others more than any cleric or politician. If singers in Islamic societies sing about social problems like stoning, people will hear their voices. How do we convince musicians in oppressive societies to sing messages pertaining to social justice? If you think my idea can be any more absurd, please hear me out, for I think it is not.

Youssou N'Dour was rejected by the people of Senegal, for he came out with an album entitled, "Allah," whereby he expressed his love for Islam and Senegal's hero, Sheikh Amadou Bamba. Not only were the people of Senegal offended, for music is supposed to be banned in Islam, but Youssou released the album during Ramadan, the holiest and most solemn time of the Muslim calendar. He challenged his people to think differently about the way they expressed their love for music and for God. Eventually, the people of Senegal gave in to Youssou–he was popular enough before releasing the "Allah" album to affect perceptions of music in his country. True leaders of our time can change perceptions of women, and not let matters like stoning slip out of their hands like a bar of soap.