Like the prime ministerial wives who preceded her, Mrs. Harper has tread carefully, avoiding contentious issues and controversial causes.

But the plight of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the Iranian woman who was sentenced to death by stoning for alleged adultery, was different. Her circumstances compelled Mrs. Harper to move out from behind the curtain of safe causes and into the realm of geopolitics.

On Tuesday, Mrs. Harper played host at the Prime Minister’s official residence to a roundtable of activists from the Iranian community, human-rights experts and a handful of journalists. She was joined by Heather Reisman, the CEO of Indigo Books and Music, who launched a petition last summer to save Ms. Ashtiani.

For two hours, the 14-member group brainstormed about ways to keep the spotlight on Ms. Ashtiani’s case.

Mrs. Harper will not be interviewed about her involvement, telling The Globe and Mail only that Ms. Reisman is “amazing.”

“This is about her, not me,” she said. “I only jumped on the bandwagon after lots of other people did a lot of work.”

Since last summer, the two women have collaborated on efforts to keep a focus on the 43-year-old Iranian woman’s situation. Earlier this month, when it appeared Ms. Ashtiani’s execution was imminent, they issued a strongly worded joint letter calling on the Iranian government to release her. Iran has suspended the sentence and it is being reviewed by the country's Supreme Court, but the government has said Ms. Ashtiani could still be executed by hanging for her husband's murder.

What emerged on Tuesday was an open letter to the Iranian President in which the two women implored Iran to change its laws to “forbid this cruel and inhuman punishment forever.”

BY: Jane Taber

Source: The Globe and Mail