… or not.
Apparently, my work place is a particularly fertile ground for e-mail forwards, especially the political and religious, and often of a rather mean-spirited nature. One that hits my inbox fairly regularly is the story of the eight-year old Iranian boy whose punishment for stealing bread is to have his arm crushed by a truck running over it.
What amazes me is how often, when it goes around, I end up with 2 or three copies of it from different individuals, who all got the ‘original’ soon after it came into our building. What really amazes me is how un-skeptical people are. A couple have caught on. One guy forwards me everything he gets like this, just so I can check it for authenticity (usually, with Snopes, but sometimes I get to use some real detective skills). But even after learning (and I always tell them) that this or that e-mail chain letter was fake, they seem eager to believe and pass on the next one that comes in the box.
This one was particularly interesting to me because Snopes says that the boy is really performing some street magic (pun… well… unavoidable). I’m a sucker for street magic. And stage magic. And other varieties. And I was dying to know how this illusion was produced. Well, thanks to YouTube, Penn & Teller, and the beautiful Ms. Victoria Jackson of 1980′s SNL fame… I found out.
**Spoiler Alert!**
If you watch this movie, you will see how this illusion is done. [update: The original video is no longer available. I have replaced with a video that includes Penn & Teller's performance of the trick only, without explanation.] You will also be mightily entertained, unless you’re some kind of humorless old fruitcake lady (the link to David Letterman’s fruitcake lady segment seems to be gone, too). If you read on past the movie, you will be able to easily guess how it is done. Ok… ready? Watch:
Of course, on the street in Khazakstan, or wherever, the counterweights will be home-made [Update/spoiler: the original video explained (and showed) that the truck was heavily counterbalanced on the opposite side from Teller, leaving no load to be borne by the wheels on Teller's side. In P&T's case the tires on this side were made of foam rubber], & the tires will uninflated rather than foam rubber… but there’s the principle. I wouldn’t have figured it out on my own. Oh well. Thank goodness for Snopes, Penn & Teller, and above all – for skepticism.
IF indeed this is NOT a sick form of Islamic punishment committed against a small, extremely thin boy who stole bread because he was HUNGRY,(a clear indictment against the country for not feeding it’s children)then its a hoax. I suppose we will never know.
The rumor on other websites is that it IS a hoax. But remember this is a country that executes 13 year old retarded female children when they are raped by older adult men. In one case, the girl was retarded due to years of systematic abuse. Brain damaged due to her ‘family’ beating her on and about the head for years. Then after being violently raped, she is punished for that by being executed. There is NO logic to this manner of ‘justice’. None at all. It is clear to anyone of average intelligence.
This is a country where the educated women FLEE once they can, to come to America, and elsewhere so they can live and avoid stonings and execution based on RUMORS of infidelity. This is a country that does NOT have justice for women or children.
The boy looks, in all three photos I personally saw, as flushed, sweating and clearly in pain and/or either very terrified.
I would NOT be surprised if indeed this poor child had his arm crushed by the truck, and sadly THIS set of photos only does more damage in sending more messaages to Americans and others, that Iran is a land of injustice and inequality for the weakest of its citizens.
Why else would its people run from it as quickly as they can? Going to places like Canada, America, and elsewhere? This is a country where human rights are NOT observed or maintained.
I suppose we will never know if indeed this set of photos is a hoax, unless and until we see the boys damaged arm.
But nonetheless, the photos are DISGUSTING and only succeed in portraying a country that is filled with uneducated, ignorant and animalistically VIOLENT adults who abuse and kill small children, most notably, FEMALE children.
The country is a land of WOMAN HATING first and foremost and I thank God I do not live there. I thank GOD I am an American Citizen!
If that child was really tortured and maimed in this fashion, God will punish those responcible.
I can only imagine whatever the details, the Government of Iran is horribly humiliated to know that Americans and others are able to see such a disgusting set of disturbing photos.
Seeing those three photos the other day was extremely upsetting for me. I was nauseated the whole day. I could not stop thinking about it. Learning that it may indeed be a hoax provides me with some manner of comfort, but sadly, my intuition tells me that it is NOT a hoax. My intuition tells me that that boy was horrified and in pain. I suspect that it really happened and that the boys arm WAS indeed crushed due to him stealing because he was hungry.
God will punish those responcible! If not in THIS life, then in the afterlife!
Sincerely,
Therresa Kennedy
I would really like to believe that this Iranian boy was a magician and putting on a show, but the there is no way a boy of that age could put on a face of such terror and pain for it it be a hoax. It’s very disturbing how people can treat their citizens and get away with it.
Therresa Kennedy, you have obviously never been to Mexico and this is a well known hoax; indeed just street magic. (this is where we ask you to pull your head out…)
Definitively it’s not for real, if it’s really an Iranian cruel punishment why did they put a red blanket between his arm and the pavement? wouldn’t have been crueler cuttin his hand off with a big axe? that’s not the iranian style!!!
This is a country where a woman lawyer actually won the nobel peace prize, and actually won out pope John Paul for the nobel peace prize for exposing and helping with treatment of women and children in Iran. You do the math, I rest my case.
The youtube file is “no longer available”, have you (or anyone reading this) got a copy of the video or a link that works?
Please reply/
When I received this e-mail and saw the photos my heart not only ached but it sank to see this poor little boy’s arm being crushed just for the sake of hunger. I find mysf worrying, wondering if he is okay after that brutal action. If this is in fact a hoax, I don’t find it the least bit funny and the heights of wickedness and abuse of emotions towards those who got affected by this in the worst possible way. If it is true then God be with this little boy and may those responsible pay in the worst possible way.
Yes it IS A FAKE. For god’s sake people stop being so gullible. Sheesh!
And incidentally, over 60% of Iran’s university students are FEMALE, and Iran has FEMALE vice presidents and mayors.
Therresa Kennedy seems so quick to point out that atrocities are committed by Iranians, but America sprays napalm on civilians, uses depleted uranium ammunition and drops cluster munitions on Iraqi villages. If we’re going to be outraged by atrocities, let’s be outraged by them all, not just by “theirs”.
[...] http://tete-tete-tete.com/105/crushing-arms-for-stealing-bread/ [...]
I, like Therresa Kennedy, cannot get the image of the little boys face out of my mind. I am sick in heart when I saw the pictures and as accomplished of an actor he may be, I don’t believe he was that good. If it’s fake, and I PRAY to God that it is, what possible enjoyment, fun or humor could be derived out of watching an emaciated precious child of God terrorized like that? My heart still aches for the little boy and my stomach is still in knots and feel like it too was crushed by a truck. Like Therresa I went searching for the truth thinking that it would stop my tears or end the pain, but it has not. I know in my heart that it’s real and if it’s not real in this case, it’s real in others. Yes, I know America has committed it’s share of atrocities. They were not all on foreign soil nor to foreign enemies, real or imagined. We also don’t have to look back 200 years and learn about the atrocities committed in the name of God or anything else we held dear, to see the horrible acts committed. Our injustices does NOT justify others. Real or fake, this is just sick and horrible!
Looking at these pictures and relooking at them, makes me want to hold him tight and never let him go. If necessary, I’d adopt him on the spot. I look over and over not because I want to, but like an accident, you’re compelled to look even though it’s horrific, too terrifying for words, but you want to grasp the horror and escape from the insulation you wrap yourself in so that you can feel the pain of others, in the mistaken belief that you can actually stop it.
This photo has shaken me to the core and I will not soon recover from it.
I’ve just received some clips from this video from a friend (who’d received them from a friend, etc).
A couple of years ago I’d come across the video and suspected it as a hoax. So looked it up again and came across this excellent debunk. So, yes, it’s the same hoax.
It doesn’t surprise me that people forward it uncritically, with the extreme prejudice against Iran these days. And the pics are convincing (good street magic).
What is surprising is a few of the comments posted above. People seem to be saying – OK, it’s a hoax, but because the photos are nasty, that is another reason to hate Iran. If Penn and Teller arrange for a truck to be driven over someone, that’s OK – but if Iranians do it, that’s different.
Therresa says her intuition tells her this can’t be a hoax – well, in this case that’s intuition as an excuse for not using your critical faculties.
Patricia says she doesn’t find the hoax the least bit funny. I don’t either, but we should think about who is actually spreading this hoax uncritically – mainly people in the West – people like us.
And then Melodie says her heart aches for the little boy, etc. I agree that even if this is a hoax, this kid is being exploited. But this is a minor evil in the scheme of things. Much worse is happening, for example in Darfur, or in the sweatshops of the poorer countries of the world.
Let’s agonise about the real problems. Let’s not try to persuade orselves these photographs are real when all the evidence points to them being a hoax.
And before we get so worked up about how awful those people in Iran are, let’s remember what happened in Vietnam – the West fought to “keep Vietnam free” and wound up ruining the lives of many of the people in that country; then abandoned the war; and now we go there as tourists. Let’s not do the same to Iran. (And ourselves).
Very well said, Rod. Thanks for your contribution. I guess it’s also worth noting that we don’t even know if these pictures are from Iran or any other predominantly Muslim country. I hear that this effect is often used in Mexico. This may be a Catholic “atrocity” rather than a Muslim one. Thanks very much for stopping by and leaving your thoughts.
[...] ser que se trataba de un espectáculo callejero ( de un mal gusto supino y cafre a más no poder) y aquí pude descubrir el truco de “magia” del contrapesado del camión (también en [...]
Even if its not real and is a hoax, why would Iran want these horrible photos published? They obviously can’t feed their children, the boy is emaciated. Who can defend this pathetic set of photos in any capacity? Maybe it is a hoax, does that make it okay? Come on poeple, get your heads out of your ass; defending it as a hoax only makes you look as stupid as those who put down women who care for small starved children. Get your head out fools!