Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Park Ranger To Be Executed In Iran


It is often difficult for us as Westerners to understand Muslim law and how it works.  A prime example is now unfolding in Iran.

A park ranger who was working in the remote province of Dena confronted five illegal poachers who had killed a protected wild goat.  In the ensuing confrontation the poachers shot at the park ranger attempting to escape.  Reacting to protect himself the park ranger returned fire apparently killing one of the poachers.  This incident that occurred in 2007 has now resulted in park ranger Asad Taghizadeh being convicted of manslaughter and condemned to death, a sentence that is to be carried out within two weeks.

According to the Iranian Mehr News Agency:

 Following the shooting, Taghizadeh was condemned to a retributive death sentence (Qesas), something the family of the deceased hunter have been demanding insistently
.
The sentence of death has now been affirmed by the Iranian Supreme Court.

In Iran more than one hundred park rangers have been killed on the job in the past thirty years.  Iranian park rangers are looked down on as lower members of society due to their poor economic compensation.  This contributes to their treatment by fellow Iranians and disregard for their mission of protecting natural and cultural resources.

For more information you can go to the following links.  The second includes an online petition should you wish to take some action.


1 comment:

  1. I'm going to go throw up somewhere. What on God's green earth makes some people believe this is okay?

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