Iranian Pastor Faces Execution for Refusing to Recant Christian Faith An Iranian pastor who has refused to renounce his Christian faith faces execution as early as Wednesday after his sentence was upheld by an Iranian court. Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who maintains he has never been a Muslim as an adult, has Islamic ancestry and therefore must recant his faith in Jesus Christ, the 11th branch of Iran's Gilan Provincial Court ruled. Iran's Supreme Court had ordered the trial court to determine whether Nadarkhani had been a Muslim prior to converting to Christianity. The judges, according to the American Center for Law & Justice, demanded that Nadarkhani, 34, recant his Christian faith before submission of evidence. Though the judgment runs against current Iranian and international laws and is not codified in Iranian penal code, the judge stated that the court must uphold the decision of the 27th Branch of the Supreme Court in Qom. When asked to repent, Nadarkhani stated: "Repent means to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?" "To the religion of your ancestors, Islam," the judge replied, according to the American Center for Law & Justice. "I cannot," Nadarkhani said. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/0...ution-for-refusing-to-recant-christian-faith/
Freedumb of religion, Iranian style. I wonder if he is required to recant to Shia Islam, or if he can declare himself a Sunni, Ahmadi, or some other Islamic sect. If so, considering how different the beliefs are between each of these sects, perhaps he can start up the first "Christian" sect of Islam.
Maybe his ancestors way back were Christian before they were Muslim. Perhaps he can revert all the way back. That would go over well, I'm sure.
It'd be funny but for the fact that this bs could cost the guy his life just because he doesn't share someone elses favorite religion.
Unbelievable. Anyway, I've found "Christian Solidarity Worldwide" is asking everyone to write the Iranian embassy. They have a form here on their website, making it really easy to do. They give ideas of what to say. I don't know if it will help, but worth a try.
Why? If they are really Christian and believe in God and after life, the Iranian court is just helping this guy to keep his date with Christ sooner than expected.
it's our law anyway, it should be naive and insane to put ourselves in such danger. in my country even change to Sunni sect has danger too.
As soon as something like this comes up, all those who were claiming Islam is best disappear. Where are you now to oppose such an inhumane act like killing somebody for believing in Christ? Where are all those true muslims and Islamic scholars to stand up and say Islam is against killing of apostates?
A lot of people are unaware of this but there are 100,000 Jews who live in Iran.They are direct descendants of "the lost 10 tribes of Israel".The Jewish minority in Iran are actually protected by Iranian law and are treated with respect by their Persian neighbors.It is not uncommon to see a star of David over the doorway of a Jewish shop in Teheran.Jewish synagogues are not targeted at all.In fact one Jewish Iranian is a part of the government and sits at their national assembly.I fail therefore to understand why Iran can't extend this religious tolerance that it seems to be able to grudgingly demonstrate,to a Christian.
Everything that you describe it is also true for Christians. This case is different because they guy was not born Christian and he is changing his religion from Islam to Christianity. The guy is so stupid that he is risking his life for changing from one stupid religion to another one.
Both Iranian Christians and Jews are protected by the Imam Khomeini's fatwa, recognizing them as the religious minority that should be protected.. It's not that Iranian courts execute random Christians.. They don't allow Muslims to convert to any other religion. If you convert from Islam you will be prosecuted. You refuse to convert back to Islam, you will be executed. It is barbaric, but that's what it is.. However, It is impossible for us to tell how are they living and what problems are they facing unless we go and experience it first hand.. The information that you get on Internet are variable. sometimes contradicting each other.. for example one source of info says - Source: http://www.sephardicstudies.org/iran.html On the other hand an article by BBC says - Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5367892.stm So which source do you choose to trust? which is telling the truth? We can never know unless we go there and see ourselves...
To have an ideal means to be ready to take the sufferings that come with it. This man has an ideal and is ready to put his life for it. I could only admire such a person.
"I would rather die than do something which I know to be a sin,or to be against God's will".-Joan of Arc -1429.
thanks for your understanding Gworld. yeah they could live in Iran but haven't equal right with Muslims. don't think any fatwa needed. Jews, Christian and Zoroastrian could live in Iran but they should not offer their religion to other Muslims, no ads and invite allowed.for some other religion situation isn't good at all. Iranian are somewhat Anti Semitic but Arabs not about Jews. both are right I guess. even Iranian could travel to Israel mostly from Turkey without any sign in our passport. in fact Israeli manage another way for our entrance there. we get a paper instead to a visa on our passport, so no one could know where we were.
I guess situation for that pastor isn't such bad, read these two stories. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2044057/Tragedy-modern-day-Romeo-Juliet-The-lovers-driven-suicide-Iranian-regime.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Mahmudnizhad
How can both be right? You either have a telephonic contact with someone in Israel, or you don't.. You either can travel to Israel without trouble, or you get thrown in the jail for visiting Israel..
Webby I described the way but for more understanding you should know that many thing in Iran are banned from satellite dish, alcohol, facebook, and many other things but almost Iranian are defiant and use them, beside our regime lenient. you can see satellite dishes above most of houses here. just if you were against our regime put yourself in danger and for such people having these stuffs could be big crime.