His Excellency Chief Justice
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building ,
Panjeh-Khordad Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Re.: Against Aggression and Lapidation

Your Excellency,

This e-petition was launched on International Women's Day in the sixtieth year of the UN Declaration of Human Rights in order to express our support for your efforts to end lapidation in the Iran. Please continue to use your influence to bring about first, an immediate moratorium and then, a definite ban on lapidations.

Even countries with a poor human rights record, such as the USA and Israel, do not practice this form of execution. It is worth remembering that the citizens of the USA suffer four times more homicide than those of the EU, where there is no capital punishment at all. This shows that moderation and compassion work better than cruelty when it comes to curbing unlawful behaviour. A ban on lapidation will therefore render the Islamic Republic stronger and more resilient.

It may not yet be possible to convince the most conservative citizens and politicians of the Iran that acts committed in private by consenting adults are a matter for divine judgement, not for a human court. However, there is no excuse for imposing the death penalty for such behaviour. We do use different calendars, but we all live at the same time. It would play into the hands of those who seek to isolate the Islamic Republic if a three thousand year old custom were to continue out of thoughtless conservatism. Doubtlessly, those who wish to subject the Iran to an occupation like that of the Iraq see isolation as an important step on the way to destruction.

Nothing in this petition should be misinterpreted as an encouragement to attacks of any kind on Muslims. Its sole purpose is to celebrate the 8th of March of the sixtieth year of the UN Declaration of Human Rights by encouraging you to continue your efforts to save the lives of women, juveniles and men.