It would be easy to watch this film and see it as a repudiation of Iran as a nation or of Islam (although stoning is by no means universally accepted within Islam). It should be noted that stoning has a long history. It was done by the Greeks for very serious crimes, and the Hebrew scriptures command stoning for adulterers—even for a bride who cannot prove her virginity (Deuteronomy 22). While we may view it as barbaric, we should recognize that stoning is not as alien as we might like to think.

Neither should we think of this as something that does not concern us. Much of the film deals with what it means to be complicit in such an act. The center of the story is not so much Soraya as it is Zahra—the one who puts her life on the line in order to make the story known. Her bravery is contrasted to the malevolence, indifference, or cowardice of the men of the village. As preparations are made for the execution, we see the women preparing Soraya as they pray. We hear the mayor of the town (who would like to make sure justice is done) pray to God for a sign to know if he should stop it. When the sign comes, he ignores it. While others pray, we see the false mullah preening to look his best for this big event. The man who is coerced into testifying against Soraya notes that "God is watching," but is too cowardly to retract his lies. Through it all we see that there are many who are complicit in this killing. No one had the courage to speak up to stop it—or even to turn away and not take part.

The film opens with a few lines from the Fourteenth Century Sufi poet Hafez:

Don't act like the hypocrite who thinks he can conceal his wiles by loudly quoting the Koran.

These lines may serve as condemnation of the men in the film who try to use God as an excuse for their despicable actions. They also serve as a warning to viewers that we too are witnesses to what happens here.

It is important in considering this film to be aware of where we stand as we watch. Are we merely outside the story looking in? Are we like those in the village who uncritically follow the false mullah and the mob in taking part in the stoning? Does our silence in the face of what this film places before us amount to complicity (like those who wanted to keep the stoning secret) in the continued use of stoning in some place in the world?

We cannot just turn away or pretend that it is someone else's problem. Zahra spoke, even though her voice had no power. If we keep silent—if we do not speak out in protest while such things continue to happen in the world—we are guilty of allowing such injustice

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