''Mofsed-e-filarz'' (, also ''Mofsed fel-Arz'', ''Afsad-i fil Arz'', or ''fasad-fel-arz'', ''Al-Mufsid fi al-Arḍ'', also ''fasad fi 'l-ard''; ) is the title of capital crimes, or the person guilty of them, in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, which has been translated in English-language sources variously as "spreading corruption on Earth", "spreading corruption that threatens social and political well-being", "corrupt of the Earth; one who is charged with spreading corruption", "gross offenders of the moral order",Language and culture in Persian
Paul Sprauchman, and "enemies of God on Earth".

Quran, Shariah

In classical

sharia law Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, inta ...

and a

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

ic context ''fasad fi 'l-ard'' has been described as the "

antithesis Antithesis (: antitheses; Greek for "setting opposite", from "against" and "placing") is used in writing or speech either as a proposition that contrasts with or reverses some previously mentioned proposition, or when two opposites are introd ...

" of the "political prosperity" that is "God's order for mankind". According to scholar

John Esposito John Louis Esposito (born May 19, 1940) is an American academic, professor of Middle Eastern studies, Middle Eastern and religious studies, and scholar of Islamic studies, who serves as Professor of Religion, International Affairs, and Islamic S ...

, the term is used in the Quran to refer to “corrupt conditions, caused by unbelievers and unjust people, that threaten social and political well-being". It is found in Quran in the verse

They said, "O Zul-Qarnain, Gog and Magog are corruptors of the Earth. Can we pay you to create a barrier between us and them?"

And also and . The crime is similar to and sometimes lumped together with " moharebeh" (civil unrest/waging war on God and people), and people have been charged with both crimes.

Iran

The charge, as enforced by Iran, has been called by those in the American media "a catchall indictment of political dissent" and carries the death sentence.Iran Lawmakers Want Opposition Leaders Killed
ALAN COWELL and NEIL MacFARQUHAR, nyt.com, February 15, 2011 According to at least one source, Mofsed-e-filarz was first introduced as a crime in Iran by Ayatollah Khomeini. It was used by Islamic Republican judicial authorities in the early days of the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

, resulting in many imprisonments and executions. Possibly more than 8,000 people suffered that fate, ranging from former members of the

Shah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...

's government, leaders of opposition or terrorist groups, or simply opponents of the regime. It was used against leaders of the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...

on a number of occasions,Baha’i Leaders Remain Unjustly Detained After One Year
ICHRI, 14 May 2009 and in February 2011 a large majority of members of the Iranian parliament called for the prosecution and execution of Iranian opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir-Hossein Mousavi on the charge of mofsed-e-filarz.

Criminal Code

The Criminal Codes of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) that include Mofsed-e-filarz were adopted in 1996 by the Islamic Consultative Assembly; some changes were made in 2012. ''Muhareb'' and ''Mufsid-i fil Arz'' are defined as persons drawing weapons with intent to threaten or cause fear and security risk in society in Article 190 of the Codes. Article 284 of the Codes is dedicated to ''Baghi'' rmed rebellion and ''Afsad-i fil Arz'', and was revised with a broadening of who may be punished by execution. Article 284 states that those subject to execution include, “Whosoever engages extensively in: *commission of widespread crime against masses; *crimes against homeland or external security; *spreading rumors and/or uttering slander; *financial malfeasance in the affairs of the State; *spreading hazardous and poisonous substances; *establishing brothels or involvement in their operation, causing extensive disturbance in public order; *causing security risks or inflicting substantial physical harm to individuals or damage to public or private properties; *widespread moral corruption and offenses".

References

{{Reflist, 30em Sharia legal terminology Sharia in Iran Islam and capital punishment Capital punishment in Iran Sedition Crime in Iran Political crimes

Quran, Shariah

Iran

Criminal Code

See also

References