Soraya Manutchehri, a 35-year-old mother of seven who, paid the ultimate price for, in her own prophetic words, became "an inconvenient wife." Soraya is the face of thousands of woman who face the same plight. She was falsely accused of adultery and stoned to death two decades ago, but her story resonates in the minds of all who have heard it.
Rock throwing as means of death is not only horrific, but an act so barbaric it's unfathomable that it still happens today, yet it does. "Honor killings" are part of a system that rejects modernity, justice, equality and rationality. A system that treats female sexuality as a vice. These practices continue today in Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, or anyplace where sharia is the law of the land. Oh, but wait, the sharia has been done away with, or has it?
For women and girls around the world, this is their fate. A life in fear and oppression. A life without joy and happiness. A life filled with sorrow and sadness. Is this any way to live? When will the global community demand a stop of these practices.
The verdict against Soraya was carried out in a village called Kupayeh, in Iran. Soraya was not present at her trial, she did not have the right to testify in her own defence, she did not have the right to counsel, and she did not have the right to appeal to a higher court.
This film depicting the life of Soraya elicits emotions that brings the viewer out of their comfort zone. Although the film is a year old, I'm sure most have not seen it. Are we too afraid to confront the reality of the world we live in? Most likely!! We would rather remain in our comfort zone than have to face that reality.
So, what remains, is the question of what actions will bring about awareness and change. The answer is distinct for each individual. My daughters and I are safe and sound in our home, but not all mothers and daughters find themselves in this same situation tonight. May they be given strength, but most of all hope, hope for a future without violence and despair.
