A man who was going to be executed in Iran for a murder received, through a slap, the forgiveness of the victim's mother when he already had the rope around his neck. The scene was captured by photographer Aash Kamohi, when he was going to photograph the execution of a 20 -year -old, balla, by a murder committed when he was 13 years old.
Bala was already uploaded in a chair, and the rope surrounded his neck. He wore shackles on his feet, and a black ribbon covered his eyes. At that time, the mother of the young man whom Balal killed seven years ago appeared and for which he had been sentenced to death. The mother slapped the inmate, in a gesture that symbolized forgiveness by the victim's family, and that supposed the cancellation of the conviction. Balal was driven again to his cell, while the mothers of the forgiven and of the deceased seven years ago hugged themselves in tears.
In Iran, the law allows the victims to participate in the execution of the convicted giving the final push to the executed chair. But Abdollah Hosseinzadeh's family decided to do the opposite. His son died stabbed after a fight, but now the victim's father admits that the solution does not go through killing his murderer, who was then a teenager: "Bala had no experience and did not know how to handle a knife. He was innocent."
Leaving the barbarity that the death penalty supposes, the gesture is wonderful. A slap to forgive. A gesture that, while expressing rage towards someone who has made you suffer, is also a kind of end point. It is to refuse to admit the absurdity that one death is compensated with another death, and at the same time, transmit the need for crime to have a punishment. The final hug of mothers is the best climax for an episode worthy of being remembered.
Taken to more everyday situations, this story contains two teachings. One: it is always better to forgive; The accumulated resentment damages, above all, to the spiteful. And two: forgiving does not mean swallowing with everything without saying anything. Sometimes a slap is needed. Even if it is symbolic.
