Ashraf Kolhari has been spared. I don't know that we made a difference, but I do know what would have happened had no one done anything. And I know what we would have become had we stood back and essentially watched while she was buried and stoned to death.
After receiving a petition with signatures from over 100 Iranian women's rights activists and 4,000 concerned individuals, Iran Ayatollah Shahroudi has stopped the execution of Ashraf Kolhari, a mother of four who was sentenced to death by stoning for having sex outside of marriage. One must notice that, really, these numbers are quite small. The encouraging reframe to this situation is that it apparently doesn't take all that much public outcry to make a difference -which turns out to be a good thing, in this case.
Kolhari’s fate is not completely clear yet, however, and the practice of stoning in Iran is still legal. There's clearly still work to be done; dreadful things could still happen to her and to other women. Vigilance, action, a little well-placed outrage... it's all important.
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