"Islamic Mercy:" Roxana Saberi Free, Returning to Fargo, North Dakota

Roxana Saberi is free, but not exonerated.

"...Her sentence was changed to a two-year jail term suspended for five years, Iran's state-run news agency IRNA reported.

"State-run Press TV, citing 'officials close to the case,' reported that the suspended sentence 'will be automatically abolished if Saberi shows no unlawful conduct in the next five years.'..." (CNN)

I'll take her release, and regard it as good news.

As for the Ayatollahs, They're doing a fine job of showing the world their notion of Islamic justice at work. We're obviously supposed to be impressed.

"...A judiciary spokesman says the appeals court reduced Roxanna's jail term to a two-year suspended sentence as a gesture of 'Islamic mercy' because she had cooperated with authorities and expressed regret. Roxana's supporters are eager to welcome her home...." (WDAY)

Me? I'm impressed with this "Islamic mercy." Arrest a journalist, say she's a spy, threaten her with a long imprisonment, and then brag about being merciful when she's released.

I certainly am impressed with this "Islamic mercy." As I've said before, I don't assume that all Muslims follow the 'behead people your Imam doesn't like' flavor of Islam: so I won't claim that all Muslims are like the Ayatollahs and their band of followers.

Still, I certainly am impressed with this "Islamic mercy."

Last month, America's Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said: "...'Ms. Saberi was born and raised in the United States, yet chose to travel to the Islamic Republic of Iran due to her desire to learn more about her cultural heritage....' " (CNN)

I'd say that she's learned more about her cultural heritage than she wanted to. My own experience with Iranians has been quite positive, and I'm inclined to believe what her father said about the disconnect between the people of Iran and the little exercise in "Islamic mercy" that his daughter experienced.

"...The whole experience has been 'very depressing' for her, and she has gone through a great deal of frustration, Saberi's father said Monday. 'It will take some time before she can overcome it.'

"He added, 'It's not the [Iranian] people; they are very friendly. We don't understand why it happened.'..." (CNN)

Roxana's in good shape, according to her parents, considering that she's spent the last four months in an Iranian prison. According to WDAY-TV, the family will be back in Fargo in a few days.

I hope they are allowed to do so.

Related posts:

• "Ahmadinejad Urges Strong Defense for Roxana Saberi - 'Good Cop/Bad Cop'?"
  (April 19, 2009)
• "Roxana Saberi, American-Iranian Journalist, Sentenced to Eight Years for 'Spying' "
  (April 19, 2009)
• "American Journalist Roxana Saberi: Fargo's Freedom; Iran's Ayatollahs"
  (April 14, 2009)

In the news:

• "Journalist's release prompts praise from Washington"
  CNN (May 11, 2009)
• "Roxana Saberi is released from Iranian prison"
  WDAY (May 11, 2009)
• "Iran sentences U.S. journalist to 8 years"
  CNN (April 18, 2009)

Related posts, on censorship, propaganda, and freedom of speech.