Save Reyhaneh Jabbari – Message for the Sarbandi family

Shole Pakravan, Reyhaneh Jabbari’s mother, asks the Sarbandi family for forgiveness.

This is a message for the Sarbandi family!

Reyhaneh does not have much time left, only a few days until her execution. Now the only ones in a position to save her life are the deceased doctor Morteza Abdoli Sarbandi’s relatives. How? By forgiving her and absolving her from blame.

Someone once said that you have nothing to lose by asking for forgiveness and that whoever forgives has a big heart.

Current status

According to Reyhaneh’s new lawyer Parissa Ghanbari, working through the case file will take longer than expected. The Public Prosecutor is not clear yet about the account of the act and the background information, therefore acquittal has not been pleaded for. So far the Public Prosecutor does not believe that Reyhaneh stabbed the physician in self-defence. „I will still do all I can to save Reyhaneh’s life”, her lawyer said.

Unfortunately, we are all aware that sometimes things do not work out favourably and then people are executed without a legal judgement. That is why Reyhane’s mother Shole made the plans for a secret execution public.

Two mothers, one ordeal

Shole Pakravan, Rehaneh Jabari’s mother, is exhausted. She keeps fighting for her daugher like a lioness and is not likely to give up anytime soon. She has already contacted the Sarbandi family and has personally spoken with the mother of the deceased. Shole in the street and his mother at the window – both mothers are sad and hurt. It is just painful to talk about the past and past events. One mother cannot retrieve her dead son and the other does not want to be separated from her daughter. There is a saying that there are no bad people, just bad times. Both mothers can understand each other without words, because their tears do not lie.

Sarbandi family is Reyhaneh Jabbari’s last hope

If the Sarbandi family could find it in themselves to forgive Reyhaneh, they would save her. This would be her rescue from execution and a new start for the ravaged soul of a young woman who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Reyhaneh has suffered enough during the last 7 ½ years. She has died and been pulled back into life so often that she does not know anymore what it is like to live as a human.

To forgive somebody can be very difficult and you may never forget the mistake they made. Is it really forgiveness, if you do not forget the other’s mistake? Is this kind of forgiveness not only superficial?

Islam says: If Allah forgives my sins and mistakes, they do not affect me anymore. Because then they are erased. (Oh, that would be lovely, Allah al ghafur ar Rahim).

Of course, we as homo sapiens cannot compare Allah’s qualities to those of our own. Humans cannot be as all-forgiving as Allah… We can never strive for our own divinity in life, but we can try to find the divine in ourselves. Some spark to let our divine light shine.

Allah’s pardon could also be fitting in your situation. People sometimes say: “Pardon me, so that Allah will pardon me.” Allah is the one to decide if he is going to really forgive in the end.

People are pardoned, if they sincerely regret their acts. Still such forgiveness hurts your heart.

„An eye for an eye will leave everyone blind.“
Mahatma Gandhi

Executing somebody means putting a brutal end to a life. A life that we have not created ourselves. Every faith on this earth that believes in God and the Divine, claims that God is the First without beginning and the Last without ending. I do not ask that you be like Allah, but you can be divine in your character. A wise man once said: “If you start with yourselves, everything you do will be divine.”

The prophet Ali always forgave those who wronged him even without them regretting those wrongs, because he was the door to God’s mercy. Do not lock the door to your heart…

You say: We as humans cannot forgive as God can! We cannot even imagine this!

Yes, you are right!

I would say: We as humans are much too self-centered, too proud, too vulnerable and too much driven by our instincts, to be able to forgive what God forgives.

I share the view that humans can let go by forgiving. This is the only way you can really find the way to the freedom of your soul.

Of course this is easier said than done…

If you dare taking this step, you will motivate others to let their lights shine. Give Reyhaneh back her life. Send a signal to the world by not washing blood with blood.

This is what Marianne Williamson had to say about divinity:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking

so that other people will not feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone

and as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give others permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.