Christian Cleric In Iran Faces Death For His Faith ... Serenely

[smac97]

Here:

Religious freedom advocates rallied Wednesday (Sept. 28) around an Iranian pastor who is facing execution because he has refused to recant his Christian faith in the overwhelmingly Muslim country.

The British-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide has asked international supporters to urge Iranian officials to halt plans to execute Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani.

The pastor was found guilty of apostasy last year, and the conviction has been upheld by the Iranian Supreme Court. If carried out, the execution would mark the first time since 1990 that an Iranian pastor was killed for his Christian faith.

“Despite the finding that Mr. Nadarkhani did not convert to Christianity as an adult, the court continues to demand that he recant his faith or otherwise be executed,” said Leonard Leo, chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. “The most recent court proceedings are not only a sham, but are contrary to Iranian law and international human rights standards.”

This news item, however, is secondary to the main point of this thread, that being a letter Pastor Nadarkhani wrote to his flock.

Remarkable:

Written by Pastor Yusef Nadarkhani while imprisoned in Lakan Prison, Iran, for refusing to renounce his Christian faith and adopt Islam. Translated from the original Farsi.

Dear brothers and sisters, Salam

In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I am continuously seeking grace and mercy to you, that you remember me and those who are bearing efforts for his name in your prayers.

Your loyalty to God is the cause of my strength and encouragement. For I know well that you will be rewarded; as it’s stated: blessed is the one who has faith, for what has been said to him by God, will be carried out. As we believe, heaven and earth will fade but his word will still remain.

Dear beloved ones, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of a few verses, although you might know them, So that in everything, you give more effort than the past, both to prove your election, and for the sake of Gospel that is to be preached to the entire world as well.

I know that not all of us are granted to keep this word, but to those who are granted this power and this revelation, I announce the same as Jude, earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.

We are passing by special and sensitive days. They are days that for an alert and awake believer can be days of spiritual growth and progress. Because for him, more than any other time there is the possibility to compare his faith with the word of God, have God’s promises in mind, and survey his faith.

Therefore the true believer does not need to wonder for the fiery trial that has been set on for him as though it were something unusual, but it pleases him to participate in Christ’s suffering because the believer knows he will rejoice in his glory.

Dears, the “ judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

Therefore those who are enduring burdens by the will of God, commit their souls to the faithful Creator. Promises that he has given us, are unique and precious. As we’ve heard he has said: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

How can it be possible for a believer to understand these words? Only if he is focusing on Jesus Christ with adapting his life according to the life Jesus lived when he was on earth. As it is said, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.”

Have we not read and heard: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there are who find it. Many attempt to flee from their spiritual tests, and they have to face those same tests in a more difficult manner, because no one will be victorious by escaping from them, but with patience and humility he will be able to overcome all the tests, and gain victory.

Therefore in the place of Christ’s followers, we must not feel desperate, but we have to pray to God in supplication with more passion to help us with any assistance we may need. According to what Paul has said: In every temptation, God himself will make a way for us to tolerate it.

O beloved ones, difficulties do not weaken mankind, but they reveal the true human nature. It will be good for us to occasionally face persecutions and abnormalities, since these abnormalities will persuade us to search our hearts, and to survey ourselves. So as a result, we conclude that troubles are difficult, but usually good and useful to build us.

Dear brothers and sisters, we must be more careful than any other time, because in these days, the hearts and thoughts of many are revealed, so that the faith is tested. May your treasure be where there is no moth and rust.

I would like to remind you of some verses that we nearly discuss everyday, (Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven), but as long as our human will has priority over God’s will, his will shall not be done. As we have learned from him in Gethsemane, he surrendered his will to the father, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

What we are bearing today is a difficult but not unbearable situation, because neither he has tested us more than our faith and our endurance, nor does he do as such. And as we have known from before, we must beware not to fail, but to advance in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, And consider these bumps and prisons as opportunities to testify to his name. He said: If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

As a small servant, necessarily in prison to carry out what I must do, I say with faith in the word of God that he will come soon. "However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Discipline yourself with faith in the word of God. Retain your souls with patience. For there is no man who does anything in secret, and he himself seeks to be known openly.

May you are granted grace and blessings increasingly in the name of Lord Jesus Christ.

Yusef Nadarkhani

Lakan Prison in Rasht

This man is facing execution for his faith, yet he feels that this predicament "is a difficult but not unbearable situation."

Again, remarkable.

-Smac

[thesometimesaint]

He is appealing his case.

[BCSpace]

He is appealing his case.

Meaningless in Iran. If he remains alive, it will only be because the case has gained international noteriety. Plus there is the little matter that anyone would be up for execution simply for rejecting Islam which ostensibly is a religion.

[Calm]

He sounds like a good hearted man with great love and understanding for his fellow believers.

[Maidservant]

For the record, at least for those who have never yet been Muslim, it is not according to Islam to give a penalty, least of all death, for being in the "wrong" religion, most especially Christians and Jews are considered to have partial truth. No one is to be forced to Islam per sura 2:256 "Let there be no compulsion in religion." So this causes me to wonder at and mourn at the cultural, political and other milieu that would cause the situation to come to this point where this man would be executed in contradiction to the principles of Islam.

[annewandering]

It looks like they have decided to amend the charges. Oddly I cant google the link anywhere but it is on CNN. : http://www.cnn.com/2...ex.html?npt=NP1

So did they decide it made more sense in the world court of opinion or was this the original real charge with apostasy just being a cover charge?

I really dont like to be paranoid but NOW it is up on google using the same keywords I used originally. Weird.

[Bernard Gui]

It looks like they have decided to amend the charges. Oddly I cant google the link anywhere but it is on CNN. : http://www.cnn.com/2...ex.html?npt=NP1

I see 4 charges: apostasy, rape, extortion, and Zionist. Which is it?

Bernard

[Stargazer]

I see 4 charges: apostasy, rape, extortion, and Zionist. Which is it?

Bernard

Much like they do in the West, this is "throwing the book" at him. Throwing a formation of charges at him in the expectation that at least one of them will stick.

[Calm]

There is no mention of anything but apostasy being discussed in his trial, seems strange since such a trial is rare that it would have top priority if the reports are correct. His lawyer states they only defended him against the apostasy charge and if he was being tried in another court on different charges it was news to him (see payvand news).

Perhaps the difference is he is a cleric and not just a believer, thus they consider he is leading other Muslims into sin?

[Calm]

Wiki reports that his second arrest came about because he protested having to read the Quran to his children.

-----

Add-on: apparently it is school instruction and not home...he wanted his children to receive Christian teaching. My reasoning still stands, I would personally use it as a teaching opportunity, but I can also see why some parents view it as forced indoctrination.

-----

While I do think that if Iran is claiming to allow religious freedom, this should include the choice of what not to teach, to me it would be a sensible choice to actually read the Quran with my children if I live in a high density Muslim country to teach them what others believed and were talking about, much like I encourage my children to read the Bible for literary knowledge on top of spiritual growth. In fact I have two versions of the Quran on the shelf in hopes family members will avail themselves sometime. He could have used this time to point oit errors to his children even. I am now wondering why he did this, must have known he'd get in trouble for it since he already was arrested once on the same charge. Perhaps he sees the Quran as the work of the devil and does not want to expose his children to it, even so to protest rather than just ignoring the law seems to indicate a political agenda...wanting to challenge the law. If that was the reason, it would seem to have failed, but the lack of actual religious freedom is drawing more attention, so at least he is having an impact with that.

His lawyer is of the opinion it is unlikely he will actually get executed, only a 5% chance...still he has suffered in other ways even if he didn't think it was a great death risk. And if his letter above is sincere and not written for political purposes...him calling Islam blasphemy makes me think he may not be as gentle and kind as I first thought, I see him as dedicated to his fellow believers, I only hope he is as positive towards the nonbeliever.

[Calm]

Apparently the court is claiming apostasy because he was a Muslim before his birth (family faith, I guess) and not by the usual rule of after the age of accountability which is 15. ( see article in suite101.com ). He became a Christian at age 19, but if I am getting the implications right, was not a practicing Muslim prior to this (thus the need to claim he was born Muslim and therefore cannot change his religion.)

Most complete info I've found (though proChristian) is at incontext.webs.com/youcefnadarkhani.htm

They have a number of articles going back to nov 2010.

[thesometimesaint]

BCSpace:

Just about as much as it does in the US.

[Calm]

BCSpace:

Just about as much as it does in the US.

Going political will getbthe thread shut down.

[thesometimesaint]

calmoriah:

Not being political. Look at what the US did to Joseph Smith.

[Ares]

I will move this to IN the news - as long as the topic continues to revolve around freedom of religion it will be OK.

[Hughes]

For the record, at least for those who have never yet been Muslim, it is not according to Islam to give a penalty, least of all death, for being in the "wrong" religion, most especially Christians and Jews are considered to have partial truth. No one is to be forced to Islam per sura 2:256 "Let there be no compulsion in religion." So this causes me to wonder at and mourn at the cultural, political and other milieu that would cause the situation to come to this point where this man would be executed in contradiction to the principles of Islam.

Seems like a contradiction until one looks at Islam.

Mohammed said, “Whoever changes his Islamic religion, kill him.” (Hadith Al Buhkari vol. 9:57)

Slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush. (Sura 9:5)

[thesometimesaint]

Hugh:

Christians are not considered infidels in Islam. They along with Jews are People of the Book

[Hughes]

Hugh:

Christians are not considered infidels in Islam. They along with Jews are People of the Book

Yes, but Christians are considered cursed in Islam, and my point above was that Islam isn't a peaceful religion.

"The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is the saying from their mouth; (In this) they are intimate; what the Unbelievers of the old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the truth." [Qur'an 9:30]

[thesometimesaint]

Hughes:

Depends on what Cleric you talk to. The vast majority of Muslims do not subscibe to violance. Just as the vast majority of Christians, and their Ministers don't. NO religion has a spotless record on that account.

[Hughes]

Hughes:

Depends on what Cleric you talk to. The vast majority of Muslims do not subscibe to violance. Just as the vast majority of Christians, and their Ministers don't. NO religion has a spotless record on that account.

And yet, you don't see freedom of religion in Islamic countries do you?

And a pastor is on the chopping block and you still think that Islam is peaceful? Where's the outcry from these supposedly "vast majority" you speak of? If they are truly a vast majority, then wouldn't it be safe to assume that they would rule? Unless it's not really a peaceful system after all.

[thesometimesaint]

Hughes:

I don't see American style freedom of religion in a great many countries.

[Avatar4321]

Hughes:

I don't see American style freedom of religion in a great many countries.

Which is a shame.

[Hughes]

Hughes:

I don't see American style freedom of religion in a great many countries.

And why is that?

[Calm]

In my experience usually the government's tradition of promoting one sect over others (a frequent occurrence in Europe) or general squashing of all faiths (as happens in communist countries).

It certainly not unique to Islam or nonChristian belief systems.

[thesometimesaint]

Avatar4321:

Yes it is.