When I saw this story on Reddit, I had a hopeful moment. It said Iran’s Supreme Court had actually annulled the death sentence of Yousef Nadarkhani, who was arrested in 2009 and given the death sentence late last year for apostasy. However, it turns out the evangelical pastor has simply been sent back to the trial court to be given a chance to “repent” and renounce Christianity.
Again, Iran offers the world (and some in the United States) a constant lesson of the dangers of intermingling faith and government. These “courts” apply Sharia law to the population and carry out the moral code of extremists in the government.
It does not matter that apostasy is not a crime codified in Iranian law.
Nadarkhani converted to Christianity as a teenager and had about 400 people in his church.
Source: AFP
lottakatz,
Nope. As you rightly say, “not much difference at all.”
AY, substitute ‘women’s health care worker’ for christian and ‘Kansas’ for Iran and there’s not much difference at all.
Welcome back to 700 CE.
This has been the reaction of Muslim regions every time they are invaded by Christian Crusaders back to the original ones in the Dark Ages. We should not be surprised at this. There used to be safe, active (not growing but not threatened) Jewish and Christian communities in Iraq. After Boy Blunders stumble-bum invasion it is no longer safe to be a Christian or a Jew In Iraq.
These “courts” apply [Sharia] law to the population and carry out the moral code of extremists in the government.
Now really, how different is this example from our current model?