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Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been acquitted of apostasy and released, ending a saga that drew international attention and saw him spend more than 1,000 days in jail in the face of a death sentence, simply for being a Christian.
Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported Saturday (Sept. 8) that Nadarkhani, in jail since 2009, was acquitted of apostasy, that is, converting from Islam to Christianity, but found guilty of evangelizing Muslims. CSW said Nadarkhani was sentenced to three years in prison for that latter charge, but released due to time already served. Nadarkhani said he never was a Muslim.
A picture of a freed Nadarkhani, greeting his family, soon made its way across the Internet and was Tweeted by Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which has championed Nadarkhani’s case. Nadarkhani’s perseverance had served to inspire Christians around the world. "CSW is delighted to learn of Pastor Nadarkhani’s release after a long incarceration". CSW chief executive Mervyn Thomas said. "We commend the Iranian judiciary for this step, which is a triumph for justice and the rule of law. While we rejoice at this wonderful news, we do not forget hundreds of others who are harassed or unjustly detained on account of their faith, and CSW is committed to continue campaigning until all of Iran’s religious minorities are able to enjoy religious freedom as guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is party." The White House, the U.S. State Department and governments around the world had spoken up for Nadarkhani. Nadarkhani was arrested in October 2009 while registering his church in Rasht, Iran, although he initially was arrested for protesting his children being taught Islam in school, ACLJ reported. He was charged with apostasy for supposedly abandoning Islam and later was given a death sentence. In September 2011, Nadarkhani was given four chances to recant his faith in court and refused each time. ACLJ reported one of his court exchanges. "Repent means to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?" Nadarkhani asked. "To the religion of your ancestors, Islam" - the judge reportedly replied. "I cannot," the pastor responded.
Today marks a day of celebration. After languishing in prison for almost three years, under the threat of execution for his faith, Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani has been released from prison and acquitted of his apostasy charge. Pastor Youcef had been summoned to appear before the court this morning for the charges brought against him. His hearing lasted almost six hours. But in the end, he was released and able to return home to his family. Some of our sources close to the case report that the court acquitted him of apostasy, but charged and convicted him of evangelizing to Muslims. According to these same sources, the court sentenced Pastor Youcef to three years in prison and granted him time served, which means his prison sentence already has been completed. Your prayers, your advocacy, and your voice has been heard. Please continue to pray for Pastor Youcef’s safety.
For those who were unaware of this case:
Dear friends from around the world...
That's my life call, that's my heart cry:
Proverbs 31:8-9
..."Open thy mouth for the innocent, in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy"....
Another version:
..."Speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable. Speak out in order to judge with righteousness and to defend the needy and the poor"...
Another passage on defending the injusticed:
Jeremiah 22:3
..."The Lord proclaims: Do what is just and right; rescue the oppressed from the power of the oppressor. Don’t exploit or mistreat the refugee, the orphan, and the widow. Don’t spill the blood of the innocent in this place"...
Another version says:
..."Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor, him who has been robbed (of all his rights), do no wrong or violence to the poor and oppressed"...
James 4:17
..."It is a sin when someone knows the right thing to do and doesn’t do it"...
Martin Luther said:..."You are responsible not only for what you say, but also for what you do not say"...
Romans 13:10
..." Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor [it never hurts anybody]. Therefore love meets all the requirements and is the fulfilling of the Law"...
Matthew 25:40
..."And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least of these My brethren, YOU DID IT FOR ME"...
Another version: ..."And the King will reply to them, Verily I tell you, what you have done for one of my little brothers, YOU DID IT FOR ME"...
Dear friend, join this blog and help me help countless others in the same situation...
Peace be unto you...
In Christ...
Pastor Elisabete Teixeira
Português:
Para você que não acompanhou o caso:
Para você que não acompanhou o caso:
Yousef Nadarkhani é liberto da prisão!
..."Pastor Cristão, o iraniano Nadarkhani foi acusado, condenado e sentenciado à morte por apostasia - por se tornar um cristão. Quando os oficiais iranianos exigiram que ele negasse sua fé em Jesus Cristo ou morte, ele respondeu: "Eu não posso." Ele foi preso ilegalmente e separado de sua esposa e dois filhos desde 2009. Hoje Ele ainda está vivo por causa da pressão internacional sobre o Irã - pessoas no mundo estão levantando suas vozes, exigindo que sua vida fosse poupada. Precisamos manter essa pressão"... Após quase três anos preso e muitos protestos em todo o mundo, o pastor Yousef Nadarkhani é absolvido da acusação de apostasia. Yousef Nadarkhani, o pastor iraniano que conquistou os corações de milhões de pessoas ao manter-se firme em sua fé, enquanto enfrentava a prisão, foi absolvido da acusação de apostasia.Duas organizações que vinham acompanhando de perto o caso e tem fontes no Irã informaram neste sábado que Nadarkhani, que foi a julgamento no início do sábado, foi liberto da prisão e está em casa com sua família. “Obrigado a todos que me apoiaram com as suas orações” disse Nadarkhani, de acordo com o Present Truth Ministries. Embora absolvido da acusação de apostasia, o pastor iraniano foi considerado culpado de evangelizar muçulmanos. Ele foi condenado a três anos de prisão, mas foi liberado porque já cumpriu esta pena. “Damos graças a Deus por sua libertação e a resposta às nossas orações”, disse Jason DeMars, fundador do Present Truth Ministries em um comunicado. A Christian Solidarity Worldwide também confirmou a libertação do pastor “Nós elogiamos o judiciário iraniano por este ato, que é um triunfo para a justiça e o Estado de Direito”, disse o presidente-executivo da CSW, Mervyn Thomas. “Enquanto nós nos alegramos com esta notícia maravilhosa, nós não esquecemos de centenas de outros que são molestados ou injustamente detidos por conta de sua fé, a CSW está empenhada em continuar a campanha até que todas as minorias religiosas do Irã sejam capazes de desfrutar da liberdade religiosa garantida sob o Pacto Internacional sobre Direitos Civis e Políticos, do qual o Irã é signatário.” Nadarkhani, pastor em uma rede de igrejas domésticas, foi preso em 13 de outubro de 2009, depois de protestar contra a decisão do governo de forçar todas as crianças, incluindo seus próprios filhos cristãos, ao lerem o Alcorão. Ele foi inicialmente acusado por protestar, mas as acusações foram posteriormente alteradas para a apostasia e evangelismo aos muçulmanos. Em 2010, ele foi condenado a morte e a decisão foi confirmada pelo Tribunal Supremo do Irã no ano passado. De acordo com a Sharia, um apóstata tem três dias para se retratar. O pastor cristão se recusou a negar sua fé. Cristãos de todo o mundo têm orado pela liberação de Nadarkhani. A campanha no Twitter defendendo sua liberdade atingiu mais de 3 milhões de tuites.
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