The Crime Against Islam Of Developing Successful Software -- Punishable By Death
The barbarian state of Iran has sentenced to death a 35-year-old web designer on the grounds that he is guilty of desecrating and insulting Islam with software he created. From the Globe and Mail, an editorial calling for Canada to keep up pressure on Iran to free the man, Canadian resident Saeed Malekpour, who was in Iran to visit his terminally-ill father:
His crime was to develop software to upload photographs - a web program that was then used by pornographic websites.20 viewsMr. Malekpour has said that he had no knowledge his software was used for this purpose. Even if he did, his actions in no way justify the death penalty.
The Canadian government is right to call on Iran to release Mr. Malekpour - as well as the many other people imprisoned without due process. ... Thousands of people are believed to be on death row in Iran, including Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, sentenced to death by stoning, or hanging, for committing adultery.
Although Canada's influence in Iran is limited, lobbying for Mr. Malekpour's release could be effective in the long run. Last year, Iran released two American hikers who were accused of espionage, in part to appear magnanimous in advance of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's appearance at the United Nations General Assembly. Iran is not immune from the pressure of international condemnation.
