Another bit of good news, though perhaps temporary and still disturbing, for a Christian minister in Iran who was released after having the charges — apostasy, which shouldn’t be a crime anywhere under any circumstances — against him reduced.
An Iranian Christian pastor who was originally sentenced to death for holding on to his faith in the Islamic fundamentalist country was acquitted of apostasy charges and released from prison on Saturday.
Youcef Nadarkhani, 34, spent three years behind bars waiting to be executed to refusing to renounce Christianity. His charges were lowered to evangelizing to Muslims, which carried a three-year sentence.
The government apparently gave him credit for time served and he will not have to go back to jail. And while that’s good for him, he certainly can’t feel safe living in a country that thinks the mere act of changing one’s religion is a crime. It isn’t the government’s business — any government — to concern themselves with whether one is a Muslim, a Christian, an atheist or any other position for that matter. This just underscores the dangers of blending church and state (or mosque and state, in this case). The result is barbarism.
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dingojack
September 13, 2012 at 10:41 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I know it’s completely OT.
But Ed are you aware of the physical segregation (almost apartheid) of Muslims from the Buddhist? majority in western Burma?
Go on publish a story about it and watch certain trolls headsplode.
Dingo
Ace of Sevens
September 13, 2012 at 11:13 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I assume changing to Islam is OK? Do you have some period where you aren’t officially any religion yet and can pick, or are you just stuck with whatever your parents assign?
Abby Normal
September 13, 2012 at 11:16 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
As long as we’re off topic and on Buddhism, the Dalai Lama said something cool on Facebook the other day.
mrbongo
September 13, 2012 at 11:50 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Dingo,
Are you aware of the gender apartheid of women in many muslim nations? Or how about the fact that there is no religious apartheid in Saudi Arabia because all other religions are banned.
Dingo is a typical whiteguilnik leftist. In a world seething with Muslim attacks on free speech this very morning, what is his response? Point to some ethnic tensions in Burma in order to gin up some more “but Muslims are the real victims!!!” momementum.
Dingo, just ignored the fact that they are arresting people for apostacy in Iran (with threats of execution), no, none of that for him, “Hey Ed, can you ignore this and write about Muslim victimhood?
tfkreference
September 13, 2012 at 12:01 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Jesus and Mo addressed this subject: http://www.jesusandmo.net/2012/02/22/swap2/
d cwilson
September 13, 2012 at 12:18 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
He’s lucky he didn’t get the death penalty.
I wish we could make every member of the Christian Taliban who want to establish a theocracy spend just one month in either Iran or Saudi Arabia.
Chiroptera
September 13, 2012 at 2:26 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
mrbongo, #4:
Bwahahahaha!
Does anyone else find it funny that mrbongo is accusing Dingo of…mrbongoing the thread?
Nentuaby
September 13, 2012 at 3:59 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I just kind of assumed Dingo’s whole aim was countertrolling mrbongo…
Pieter B, FCD
September 14, 2012 at 6:19 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
mrbongo, that tugging sensation in your jaw is a hook…