”I Am Proud Of My Daughter”
Ramadan this year must be particularly significant for Majid Movahedi, who was convicted of the crime of blinding his former university classmate Ameneh Bahrami with acid after failing to win her love. A court had sentenced him to 10-12 years in prison, plus the qisas (also spelt as qesas) retributive punishment known as an eye for an eye punishment under which Majid Movahedi is to be blinded in both eyes by having acid poured on his eyes. The qisas punishment was postponed previously following international protests, but it was scheduled to proceed on July 31, 2011 which is just before the start of the holy month of Ramadan. In a surprise development, the victim Ameneh Bahrami has just announced her forgiveness of Majid Movahedi, thus sparing her attacker from blindness. Commenting on Ameneh Bahrami’s decision to forgive Majid Movahedi, her mother said: “I am proud of my daughter.”
About This Case
This is a tragic outcome of an unrequited love story between 2 young university students. Ameneh Bahrami was then a beautiful 24-year old female university student when she met classmate Majid Movahedi in 2002. Majid Movahedi fell in love with Ameneh Bahrami but his several marriage proposals were rejected by her. The spurned lover, in a moment of madness, threw acid at Ameneh Bahrami’s face, and that eventually led to her losing sight in both eyes, plus a badly disfigured face. Since then, despite numerous surgeries, Ameneh Bahrami has not regained sight of her eyes, nor has plastic surgeons succeeded in giving her a new decent looking face.
In 2008, Majid Movahedi was put on trial during which Ameneh Bahrami testified: “He was holding a red container in his hand. He looked into my eyes for a second and threw the contents of the red container into my face.” The court then convicted Majid Movahedi of the crime of pouring acid on Ameneh Bahrami that caused her blindness.
The court then sentenced Majid Movahedi to a jail term of 10-12 years. Additionally, the court in Tehran also sentenced Majid Movahedi to qisas (qesas) punishment, in which Majid Movahedi will lose sight in both his eyes. He also has to compensate Ameneh Bahrami with economic compensation.
In February 2009, the Iranian Supreme Court reaffirmed the sentence passed by the court in Tehran. It also specified how the qisas (qesas) eye for an eye retributive punishment is to be carried out. According the the court, 10 drops of sulphuric acid will be dripped into each of Majid Movahedi’s eyes.
The qisas (qesas) sentence was to be carried out on May 14, 2011 at a prison hospital in Tehran in the presence of a doctor and representatives from the coroners’ office and the prosecution. Speaking a few days before that scheduled execution date, Ameneh Bahrami said: “I’ve suffered so much in these years but now I am really happy. The verdict is completely legal and I would like to carry it out. But if it is not possible, then the physician designated by the judiciary will do it.”
However, at the last minute, the Iranian authority postponed the qisas (qesas) punishment. The rescheduled date for carrying out the blinding of Majid Movahedi’s eyes was July 31, 2011.
Pardoned!
In a surprised move, Ameneh Bahrami has now forgiven Majid Movahedi. This is surprising because Ameneh Bahrami had rejected the option of being paid blood money in lieu of carrying out the qisas (qesas) punishment. Ameneh Bahrami told the court then: “The person who did this deserves to go through the same suffering. Only this way will he understand my pain my intention is to ask for the application of the law not just for revenge but also so that no other woman will have to go through this. It is to set an example. Inflict the same life on him that he inflicted on me.”
But shortly after the postponement of the May 14, 2011 qisas (qesas) punishment date, Ameneh Bahrami said: “I announced that I want two million euros ($2.85 million) to guarantee my life and my future, and not for treatment. It is only then that I will give up qesas (retributive justice) against Majid.”
But now, Ameneh Bahrami has forgiven Majid Movahedi. An official statement said: “With the request of Ameneh Bahrami, the acid attack victim, Majid Movahedi who was sentenced for ‘qesas’ was pardoned at the last minute.”
So did Ameneh Bahrami received the blood money she demanded amounting to two million euros ($2.85 million) to forgo her right to qisas (qesas)? What makes Ameneh Bahrami’s pardon of Majid Movahedi so remarkable is that she has not been paid. Ameneh Bahrami said that she was only seeking compensation for her medical fees, which she estimated to cost 150,000 euros ($216,000).
Why?
Explaining her action, Ameneh Bahrami said: “I struggled for seven years for this verdict to prove to people that the person who hurls acid should be punished through ‘qesas’, but today I pardoned him because it was my right.”
But there were 2 other reasons that contributed to her decision to pardon Majid Movahedi. The first reason has to do with Islam. Ameneh Bahrami said: “God talks about ‘qesas’ in the Koran but he also recommends pardon since pardon is greater than ‘qesas’.”
The second reason has to do with the country. Since her case became publicized, several human rights organization in and out of Iran have condemned the qisas (qesas) punishment.
Amnesty International, for example, declared: ““Regardless of how horrific the crime suffered by Ameneh Bahrami, being blinded with acid is a cruel and inhuman punishment amounting to torture. The Iranian authorities have a responsibility under international law to ensure it does not go ahead.”
Similarly, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, spokesman for Iran Human Rights said: “The international community must not let this barbaric punishment to happen. Leaders of the Iranian regime should be held responsible for the barbaric and grotesque punishment of dripping acid in Majid’s eyes. These types of sentences are only meant to spread fear among the people and will, without a doubt, promote even more violence in the Iranian society.”
With these comments in mind, Ameneh Bahrami said: ” I did it for my country, since all other countries were looking to see what we would do.”
Would The Blinding Have Gone Ahead Without The Pardon?
Iran had postponed the qisas (qesas) punishment once before, in mid-May. If Ameneh Bahrami had not pardoned Majid Movahedi, would Iran have gone ahead with the blinding? Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said: “Today in hospital the blinding of Majid Movahedi was to have been carried out in the presence of an eye specialist and judiciary representative, when Ameneh pardoned him. The judiciary was serious about implementing the verdict, and Ameneh by her courageous act pardoned the ‘qesas’ of this man.”
Now that Ameneh Bahrami has pardoned Majid Movahedi, will the latter be released from prison? Ameneh Bahrami said: “He wont be freed. He has a sentence, which he has to serve for 10-12 years of which he has done seven. Unless the full compensation is paid, he won’t be freed.”
Reactions
Ameneh Bahrami’s mother said: “I am proud of my daughter… Ameneh had the strength to forgive Majid. This forgiveness will calm Ameneh and our family.”
But why is everyone so concerned about Majid Movahedi? Has Ameneh Bahrami, the victim of Majid Movahedi’s viscious attack, been forgotten? Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “By being a woman, Ameneh is also a victim of the Iranian regime’s gender apartheid politics. Iranian authorities encourage violence against women. According to the Iranian laws, a woman who is not covered properly can be lashed up to 74 times, so the authorities are also responsible for the growing violence against women in the Iranian society, like Ameneh’s.”
Think About it
So what can be said of Ameneh Bahrami’s unilateral action in forgiving Majid Movahedi without being paid blood money or compensation for her medical expenses? In fact she may never be paid. Her mother said that Ameneh Barhami’s action in forgiving Majid Movahedi will “calm Ameneh and our family.” She is right. Continuing dwelling on the wrong that Majid Movahedi had done to her will only lead to anger and depression.
Previous posts
Iran Postpones Eye For An Eye Execution Even As Victim Prepared To Blind Her Attacker
Iran – Ameneh Bahrami Offers Lifeline To Majid Movahedi To Escape Eye For An Eye Punishment
“in a moment of madness” – I don’t think so. He had to somehow find out where to get it – not easy – actually, really go there, buy it, pay for it, work out how he was going to do it without getting it on himself, carry it in some container to the right place, wait for her, follow her – THEN there was a moment, not of madness, but pure self-centred stupidness.
I’m not sure there are crimes that can’t be forgiven, but this man has no right to ask for anything, from anyone, ever. His family don’t seem to have acquitted themselves in any way they can take a scrap of pride in either. When Ameneh told his mother that she wasn’t interested in him the mother said ‘He is a man, if he wants you he will have you” – sound like she could be the origin of the problem.
I fully understand A’s right to choose not to – to free herself from that dark valley, but I also understood her reason before she rescinded – that she wanted to do something so that other people will not do the same thing. When the man did the crime, he did not conceal who he was. When he faced the same himself he was terrified, he had no courage, no dignity. I find it impossible to think he would have done this if he had not thought he could get away with some minor punishment.
Was his pride hurt perhaps – Mummy’s Boy had been slighted by a woman who had the taste to reject a potential acid-thrower who she didn’t fancy as a husband. Give me the acid, the boy and the mother – I’ll do the job myself.
Hollow LOL