A LIFE OF JOY AND ADVENTURE
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was a happy mother living in the Islamic Republic of Iran. She had the children. She had the husband. And worked in a little bit of “variety” on the side.
Not a boring life for a still-attractive woman of 42.
WHICH WENT AGAINST THE LOCAL LAWS
Only problem was that she picked the wrong country for this sort of fun. The law in Iran called it adultery.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
And so this woman went before a court, and got convicted.
And the punishment? Death penalty by stoning. (Saeed Kamali Dehghan, Iran imposes media blackout over stoning sentence woman, Guardian, 9 Jul 2010)
TORTURE — BARBARIC AND ABHORRENT
Isn’t all this a little bit harsh? The American government thought so. They described the punishment for this convicted criminal as “barbaric”. The Jew Mark Toner works at the American state department: “Stoning as a means of execution is tantamount to torture. It’s barbaric and an abhorrent act”. “We condemn in the strongest terms the use of the practice of stoning anywhere it occurs as a form of legalized death by torture“. (Mark Toner cited in US appalled by ‘barbaric’ stoning plan in Iran, AFP, 8 Jul 2010)
THE HIGHER STANDARD
So how would the Jewish-American justice system punish such serious offenses?
PIRACY ON THE HIGH SEAS
“Shortly after 4.30am yesterday, in international waters, the elite Flotilla 13 unit of the Israeli navy stormed the Mavi Marmara, the flagship of a flotilla crewed by an alliance of pro-Palestinian activists who had combined to deliver 10,000 tonnes of aid to Gaza.” (Robert Booth, Israeli attack on Gaza flotilla sparks international outrage, 
Guardian, 31 May 2010)
Pirates? A “pirate” is “a person who practices piracy; esp., a robber of ships on the high seas“. http://www.yourdictionary.com/pirate Piracy is “robbery of ships on the high seas”. http://www.yourdictionary.com/piracy
And when these Jewish pirates showed up, did they use “Stoning as a means of execution“? (Mark Toner cited in US appalled by ‘barbaric’ stoning plan in Iran, AFP, 8 Jul 2010)
Of course not! None of that barbaric and abhorrent stuff. (per Mark Toner cited in US appalled by ‘barbaric’ stoning plan in Iran, AFP, 8 Jul 2010) Granted, “At least 10 pro-Palestinian activists were killed”. (Harriet Sherwood, Israeli commandos kill activists on flotilla bound for Gaza, Guardian, 31 May 2010)
But not by stoning.
That would have been just too barbaric and “abhorrent”. (per Mark Toner cited in US appalled by ‘barbaric’ stoning plan in Iran, AFP, 8 Jul 2010)
THE JEWISH WAY
Word on the ship was: “They are using live ammunition.” (Robert Booth, Israeli attack on Gaza flotilla sparks international outrage, Guardian, 31 May 2010) Before the Jews even got on the boat. “Jamal El Shayyal, is the Al Jazeera reporter who kept broadcasting as gun shots rang out behind him on the upper decks of the Mavi Marmara.”
“When the Israeli commandos attack began Jamal was wearing his pyjamas under a life jacket as were so many of the allegedly ‘prepared terrorists on board.’ Helicopters caused a near hurricane on the decks, all satellite phones were jammed (deliberately to stop SOS calls to the rest of the world). And, so the IDF hoped, any factual reports of what was about to occur.
At this point, just after four thirty am, Jamal saw a Turkish passenger shot in the top of his head. He spoke slowly and clearly to make sure he was understood by us all in the hall.
‘No Soldier was on the ship at this time’.
SAILORS WILLING TO SURRENDER TO PIRATES
Quickly another passenger removed a white t-shirt from a bag and used it as a white flat of surrender. When gun shots rang out, greater numbers fell. It was clear calls for mercy were to be ignored. That a shoot to kill policy was in place.” (Lauren Booth, Shocking Testimonials from the Mavi Marmara Survivors, Dissident Voice, 12 Jun 2010)
And some were being shot.
LONG-STANDING TRADITION
But did all the victims die of gunshort wounds? Or was something more involved.
Champagne is a region in the north of France. There are plenty of Christians there. And back in 1191, in the city of Bray, one of these people was caught in the act of conducting an “aid flotilla”. (as per Robert Booth, Israeli attack on Gaza flotilla sparks international outrage, Guardian, 31 May 2010)
The local Jews were incensed. And so they grabbed the Christian, bound his hands, put a crown of thorns on his head, and dragged him through the streets. And then they hanged him.
And all that on their festival of Purim.
MEANWHILE AT THE UNITED NATIONS
“In the early morning hours of Tuesday, the Security Council expressed deep regret at the loss of life and injuries resulting from the use of force during the Israeli military operation early on Monday in international waters against the convoy sailing to Gaza, and condemned those acts which had killed at least 10 civilians and wounded many more.” (Security Council Condemns Acts Resulting in Civilian Deaths during Israeli Operation, Security Council, Department of Public Information, News and Media Division, New York, United Nations)
There was regret, but not enough to call the matter “barbaric” and “abhorrent”. (as per Mark Toner cited in US appalled by ‘barbaric’ stoning plan in Iran, AFP, 8 Jul 2010)
DIDN’T WANT TO DO ANYTHING CONCRETE
The facts were not in dispute. But the UN thought an inquiry might sound good: “The UN secretary general called today for a multinational
BUT AT LEAST PRETEND TO DO SOMETHING
investigation of Israel’s raid on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla that left nine dead but the proposal was swiftly rejected by the Israelis.” “Michael Oren, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, told Fox News: “We are rejecting an international commission.” (Harriet Sherwood, Amabassador to US dismisses Ban Ki-moon’s suggestion but says Israel is willing to work with Washington, Guardian, 6 Jun 2010)
NOT THAT A COMMISSION COULD DO MUCH TO CHANGE THE PUBLIC FACTS
Of course, the facts are already out there. The boats were in international waters. The Jewish pirates had no legal right to board them. And the murdered sailors were shot down in cold blood: “Autopsy reports on the dead activists yesterday revealed that five had gunshot wounds to the head.” (Harriet Sherwood, Amabassador to US dismisses Ban Ki-moon’s suggestion but says Israel is willing to work with Washington, Guardian, 6 Jun 2010)
So why were the Jews so shy of an international commission?
It all goes back to 1191.
After the Jews had captured a Christian, bound his hands, put a crown of thorns on his head and dragged him through the streets of Bray, word got around to the King.
So Philippe Auguste travelled to Bray, accompanied by his royal soldiers.
And there he held a commission of inquiry.
Which resulted in the burning of 100 Jews.
So now you know why the Jews rejected the United Nations proposal for an international inquiry.
And you also know why they’d rather talk about the justice system in Iran than what happened in May 2010 in international waters.
Or, for that matter, Purim 1191 in Bray.
