The mindset at the heart of Iran is one of deep concern. There’s no doubt about the brutality of the leading mullahs:
Iran’s hard-line government holds fast to the belief that relenting under international pressure is a great blunder because, ultimately, it just invites more pressure. But, apparently, there are exceptions to the rule. In the face of mounting global outrage, Tehran said on Thursday that it would commute the stoning verdict of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year-old woman convicted of adultery. The government delivered the news through its embassy in the United Kingdom, where the media first highlighted the case and sparked an international campaign that has resonated from Hollywood to Brazil. “There are forces within the Islamic Republic who want to do away with stoning,” says Shadi Sadr, a prominent human rights lawyer who has worked on stoning cases in the past. “They don’t think it’s worth sullying Iran’s international reputation for the sake of a handful of adulterers.”