Monday, June 15, 2009

The Stoning of Soraya M



Women in Western cultures generally have little to no clue as to the crimes and atrocities against women of other cultures. I have personally witnessed them against Somali women and now here's just one more - The Stoning of Soraya M. opening in theaters June 26th.

I'm one who believes that God wants to and will use the power of influence of one woman submitted to His ways - to change the world.....but, not if we are silent.



What will your voice say?

LA Times reports:
"What happened here yesterday was wrong," a woman named Zahra ("House of Sand and Fog's" Shohreh Aghdashloo) tells the journalist, before she relates the tragic events of what has happened to her niece, Soraya (Mozhan MarnĂ²). Soraya's husband was tired of his marriage and wanted a younger spouse; rather than pursue a divorce, he concocted a scheme to get rid of her.

The fabricated charge was adultery, which under the town leaders' judgment was a crime not only against her husband but also Islam. The penalty was death by public stoning, and nothing Zahra or Soraya could do or say would stop it. "It is God's law," one person says, while the local mullah says, "With each stone you throw, your honor will return."


Director and co-writer Cyrus Nowrasteh spares little in depicting the execution, in which Soraya is buried to her chest with her arms bound, and pelted with heavy rocks from close range until she bleeds to death.
"We had to keep toning it down so that people could bear it," says McEveety. "It was far worse originally. But there were people who wanted us to tone it down even more than we did."

Yet McEveety felt it was critical to depict Soraya's killing graphically so that audiences would leave the theater outraged. "You can't tone it down too much, or you do an injustice to the crime," he says. But he doesn't want people to be angry at the Islamic faith; rather, he wants to stop stoning around the world, even as it is .

What's more, McEveety wants people who see the film to cease being passive witnesses to injustice in any form.
"Another thing is that we're all guilty -- we don't stand up when we should," McEveety says. "I hope you will explore your own soul when you watch this film. Can you say that about many other movies?"


Will YOU see this movie? Why or why not?

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

This sort of thing makes me despair of the human race. You couldn't pay me to go witness atrocities like that. And you can film it for the World and broacast it live. It goes on anyway. An evil practice perpetrated by immoral people who twist religion to suit their personal agendas.

Unknown said...

Lylah,
MY pro-life heart can't let this go without statement. The story of Soraya is absolutely heartbreaking, I agree. We are absolutely called to be witness to this kind of injustice. I am so glad that it is getting documentation, attention! We must speak out against injustices to humankind everywhere!

But it is everywhere, in its different forms, this sort of injustice. I don't want to turn your blog into a debate on abortion, but I just can't help myself from pointing out the injustice we are doing worldwide to 120,000 children every day. That's more than one child every second. Mind-boggling.

There are so many injustices to speak out against, sometimes I find it difficult to know where God wants me to use my voice. Prayer, scripture, prayer, scripture, prayer, right?

Thank you for the tip about the trailer. I'm very much wanting to see it! I hope I haven't shanghaied your blog. You always do a wonderful job of inviting God into your corner of the world-or at least the blog-o-sphere. ^_^ You are truly an inspiration!

Lylah Ledner said...

Ali.....this evil practice does go on along with female circumcision...it's utterly grievous....

and yet....Mary Rose....I so agree with you and appreciate your heart to be a voice for the little ones who have no voice...and you're welcome for the tip...

Thanks to both of you for responding....

Anonymous said...

Christianity has had some shameful periods in it's history. The Catholic Church comes to mind. But I can't think when it ever treated women with the bottomless contempt that Islam does. Again, I think a lot of it is political and personal agendas, furthered by proclaiming religious precedent. And it's all very well for practicing Muslims to say "that's not what the Koran advocates". Well my dear, that may be so but your theory and your practice appear to be poles apart. It's like looking back into the Dark Ages. Goodness! Gets on my pip like almost nothing else.

And that's quite enough rantage from me for one day! LOL!

Ali

TRUTH WITH LOVE said...

Mary Rose,

Thanks for the good perspective. It's very good to bring in this subject of abortion - the unjust killing of thousands of innocent children every day in our country - something that Muslims find appaling.

If we don't keep this in perspective and in the forefront, we'll find ourselves pointing our fingers at the ATROCITY of present day (legal) stoning of women (and it IS an atrocity) in lands oversees, while blinded to the HOLOCOST of abortion (the legal killing of our most innocent ones) in our own land.

Thanks again for your comment, and may Jesus have mercy on America for allowing this holocost that breaks His heart every day (and should break ours).

Michael (Lylah's husband)