Brazil's relationship with Iran

http://www.parismatch.com/Actu-Match/Monde/Actu/Lapidation.-Dieudonne-s-...

A very interesting new article on the topic. However, I believe the point of the outrage is the vile punishment of stoning itself. Only recently was the method of lethal injection upheld and firing squads are also widely seen as inhumane. Regardless of Ms. Ashtiani's guilt, or even one's view of the death penalty, stoning itself is despicable.

@Partesan:

I am analyzing an action, not judging Lula.

Populist or not, it doesn't matter, if he make wise decisions.

Labels doesn't build a developed country, actions do.

Lula’s position seems perfectly reasonable and correct. He is attempting to save the life of a woman who is sentenced to death by offering her sanctuary. This is respectful towards Iran and Islam and based on the principles of human rights. If only more politicians had done the same back in the 1930s and 1940s, millions of Jews would have been saved from Nazis gas chambers. And who cares if he gets political capital from this. It is far better than what many politicians in the west engage in, starting a war to get reelected.

@Partesan

The link is in from a Brazilian magazine that publishes articles
about Brazil in English. The relevant text is posted below the
link. In case you still want to dispute anything, read it in
Portuguese below that.
http://www.brazzil.com/pages/cvroct00.htm
http://www.portaljuridicoempresarial.com.br/granjung/grancau27.html

1976

The Doca Street case became a cause for feminists after the murderer, invoking "defense of honor" was sentenced to only two years in prison which was never served. It happened on December 30, 1976. The assassin was Raul "Doca" Street, a playboy from São Paulo, who was married to Ângela Diniz, a beautiful socialite from the state of Minas Gerais, who became know as the Minas Panther. Doca killed Ângela with four shots, after the couple had a squabble in their chalet in the exclusive Búzios beach resort, in Rio. The playboy accused his wife of a lesbian affair with a German woman. Soon after being sentenced to two years of jail, Doca was free thanks to habeas corpus. His released generated uproar and he was submitted to a second trial in 1981. This time he was sentenced to 15 years in prison converted to house arrest and five years later he was free on probation. "

@Countryboy

If a man murders a Police Officer, he deserves the death penalty.
If a corrupt Politician is caught on a major scandal, he should
be tried and depending how heinous and grievous his crime is he
should also be executed like the Chinese execute their corrupt
Politicians. If a woman commits adultery, there is divorce
court. No stoning. No killing her.

Viva Singapore anti-drug laws. Death Penalty to drug traffickers.

@Brazilian
Lula is not a Christian but only a politician like other populist politicians in Brazil. They change their minds every minute and about Lula you can't expect coherence from him.

@ Jamexs AntiBr wrote:
"In Brazil up until the mid-70s a man could legally kill..."
It's not true, but allowed only to somedody who don't read portuguese or don't know absolutly anything about brazilian laws.

I heard what Lula said and he said more.

He said the he is a Christian so he believe that only God can give and take a life, that respects other countries laws, but keep his offer.

I think its the perfect position as a brazilian president.

Lula took a brave decision because when sakineh ashtiani was in iran she was being treated with their rules but now she is in brazil so she must be treated with the rules and regulations of this country. we love you lula da silva. and now government of iran should respect their decision. no doubt iran is an independent country but now sakineh is in brazil.

OK. So adultery is punishable by death. So what did the man get? Adultery cannot be committed by yourself!

The answer to that question is why Iran is and remains barbaric.

I am pleased to see Mr. Lula leave the presidency & the international scene, once and for all. Good ridance.

I hope the Iranian will be wise enough to hand over the woman to Brazil. Iran just cannot afford to offend any more friendly country that has their people interest at heart. And Brazil has proven to be a sincere friend of the Iranian people.

Granted, Brazil has problems with crime (moving to the interior from the coast), poverty and human rights (ethnic, and women and children), but the nation has made considerable progress in reducing the number living in abject poverty and improved conditions for working poor, by more than doubling government social program expenditures.

brazil.foreignpolicyblogs.com (see January 13 2010 entry).

Brazil is a long way from being the worst for poverty, child labor or human rights.

Iran's response, so far, has been to comment that 'Mr Lula doesn't understand fully the facts of the case', implying that he was an 'emotional man'.

Mr Lula doesn't strike us overly emotional. He is playing the role of interlocutor on nuclear enrichment issue and indirect intermediary in affording Iran a simple solution to a thorn in it's side. Or rather, a solution to the disposition of the client of the lawyer who is a thorn in the side of Iranian judiciary.

The BBC News reported today that Mohamed Mostafaei, Sakineh Ashtiani's lawyer, has applied for political asylum in Turkey. He is one of many young lawyers who have been threatened, harassed and incarcerated for criticizing the far-from-impartial legal system in Iran.

Mohamed Mostafaei, not his client, may be the game-changer in this case.

Men the world-over retain an archaic view on the rights of women; most of us forget that women lacked even basic rights as recently as 50-100 years ago in Industrialized nations. Sexual abuse and violence against women and children is still a pressing contemporary problem in all but a handful of nations.

In the US, the odds of being sexually assaulted during a woman's lifetime are 1 in three; the odds are only slight better in Canada, at 1 in four - in both, the odds of a victim knowing her attacker is four times that of being sexually assaulted by a stranger.

Where the risk of being caught and punished is thought thought to be high, then it serves as reasonable deterrent to violent, antisocial behavior against those weaker in society - women and children.

It is passingly strange to see cultures that treat women and children as chattel, that doubt the basic veracity of women, and that incarcerate or bring corporal punishment down upon the victims of sexual assault.

But it is also quite familiar to hear of family and community that squarely place blame for sexual assault on innocent women or young girls. There is little empathy or sympathy, anywhere, for those who are raped and beaten by men.

Both lie on a questionable belief continuum that is very, very old.

So Iran is inhumane for sentencing a woman to die stoned but we're ok here in the US carrying out death sentences by firing squad, electric chair or lethal injection? Also, what about the sentencing to death of minors and mentally challenged people that take place in the US?
Lula, please, helps us!! The US is just as inhumane and religiously blinded as Iran.
Help, please!!

@ XXX hardcore

In Brazil up until the mid-70s, a man could legally kill his
wife or girlfriend and get away with it because the law
protected the perps under violating his manhood. In 1976,
Doca Street killed his girlfriend Angela Diniz, a beautiful Socialite, for cheating on him. The case drew worldwide condemnation
when he was found not guilty.
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doca_Street
The Doca Street affair was the game changer for Brazil.

Would the woman who Iran will likely execute ever make it to Brazil?
Would she the game changer for Iran's archaic and inhumane laws?

Nobody mentioned this, so I'll just say is now. The fact is that Brazil has one of the highest rates of poverty, child labor, and human rights violations in the world. Not only that, but Brazil does not seem to care abut human rights violations in Cuba, Venezuela, and such. And now all of a sudden Brazil cares about a woman in Iran, of all places?

How about Brazil focus more on its own abused women?

Lula walked into a quagmire when he attempted to broker a deal to stave off sanctions againts Iran. His style is pretty much the one potrayed by an old spanish saying that says "lighting a candle for God and one for the devil".

Iran´s atom bomb rush is an outrage that cannot be allowed, just like Hugo Chavez harbouring of the terrorist organization FARC and its high commanders in Venezuela is againts international law. Let´s not forget his blaise stance on Cuba´s political prisoners. Lula´s now characterist approach to the matters like these is marked by double standards and deceit.

What a way to bring Brazil into the big leagues!

Brazilians have something to be proud of.
And I envy them for it.

@ Wilma K
Brazil is huge enough, and also his open arms.

There are going to be some new beach fashions on Ipanema.

Though I support the release of this woman on humanitarian grounds.
What is next? Is this an one time thing? Iran will continue to
execute more women for adultery in the future. Are all of them
going to Brazil instead?

If Lula is on a humanitarian binge, then he should press the
Iranians and their proxies to free Gilad Shalit as well.
If Lula can help free Gilad, that would show Brazil can
be a great diplomatic power.