A trial court in Iran has issued its final verdict, ordering a Christian pastor to be put to death for leaving Islam and converting to Christianity, according to sources close to the pastor and his legal team.
Supporters fear Youcef Nadarkhani, a 34-year-old father of two who was arrested over two years ago on charges of apostasy, may now be executed at any time without prior warning, as death sentences in Iran may be carried out immediately or dragged out for years.
If Lent is a time of prayer, it is worthwhile to pray for this man. If Iran perpetuates this evil, Pastor Nadarkhani will die a martyr's death. Chances are, you are reading this blog post from somewhere within the United States. For as much grief as the Church gets from secular humanists and politicians, we can still go to church freely on Sunday without fear - that is a great thing. Do not take it for granted.
And do not wait for international outrage. Interestingly, there was plenty of public outcry for Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who was convicted to death for adultery. Perhaps that is because in the eyes of those protesting her sentence, her "crime" was a "personal" affair. But here we have apostasy, which goes to the heart of a belief system, so to protest it might raise accusations of Islamaphobia.
And it is not the only case. Not seen in the news anymore is a woman, Asia Bibi (aka Asia Noreen), who was sentenced to be executed for "blasphemy" under Pakistani law. Where are the celebrities who were so vocal in their support of convicts like Mumia Abu-Jamal, a cop killer?
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