Christian convert convicted to death sentence in Iran

No, I don’t have to respect, accept or defend a religion that – in some prominent Islamic countries where religion is government and government is religion – will arrest, try and convict to death someone who converts from Islam to another religion.

After many appeals, a Christian pastor in Iran has been sentenced to death for converting to Christianity simply because he was born to a Muslim family. Even though – according to his lawyers and legal arguments – Youcef Nadarkhani never practiced Islam during his adult life. We have not heard much of anything concerning Nadarkhani’s case since early December, but this from Fox News today.

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.

Michelle Malkin and Pamela Geller also writing.

On an even more ominous note, executions are way up in Iran, and some are suggesting the up-tick might be in retaliation to United Nations sanctions. That’s right, Iran is getting pissed off and killing more of their own people due to the sanctions. Goodness grief…

It is also feared that Nadarkhani will be executed in retaliation as Iran endures crippling sanctions and international pressure in response to its nuclear agenda and rogue rhetoric. The number of executions in Iran has increased significantly in the last month.

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Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

16 Comments

  1. Plainvillian on February 22, 2012 at 7:56 pm

    Is Islam a religion or a 7th century rationale for thuggish totalitarianism and misogyny?



  2. Dimsdale on February 22, 2012 at 7:58 pm

    If you can’t keep people in your religion voluntarily, you have to think something is fundamentally wrong with your religion.?? Kind of like the way communist countries had to wall in their members.



    • johnboy111 on February 23, 2012 at 12:37 pm

      how long before Obama says he sorry??



  3. Eric on February 22, 2012 at 8:06 pm

    This seems to be the only way that this phony “religion” can keep its membership up. ?Pretty sad bunch if you ask me.



  4. Tim-in-Alabama on February 22, 2012 at 10:42 pm

    If we only talk to the Iranians without any preconditions, they will like us more and behave nicely.



  5. gillie28 on February 23, 2012 at 3:03 am

    Exactly Tim.? We must negotiate more with them because they are so easy to entreat, and really just want to be accepted.? Of course, we should give them as much benefit of the doubt as possible because we know that deep in ther hearts?they want?to stop all their nuclear ambitions and quit threatening to erase Israel off the map, attack the US and Europe,? They are actually just guarding the Straits of Hormuz to help us transition to “green” energy.? Perhaps Oslo should consider giving Ahmadinijab the Nobel Peace Prize for not destroying?the world?yet?



  6. gillie28 on February 23, 2012 at 3:08 am

    Can’t wait for Iran to blackmail the west into converting to Islam.? There’s nothing I look forward to more than wearing covering from head to foot.? Just love to peek out at you all from tiny holes in a suffocating burkha,? And then, being the fifth wife of a macho bully is so appealing.? Am so excited about not being able to mix with the opposite sex unless severely chaperoned….you guys know how weak you are.? And driving is really overrated.? Who needs all that stress of independence?



  7. Linda Mae on February 23, 2012 at 3:13 am

    There is another case in Saudi Arabia – same story.? Reasonable Muslims should be loudly speaking out against this.? This is a country which rounded up the @ 900 demonstrators for democracy a few years ago – and engineered their deaths.? The 6 lawyers who tried to help them, are now dead.? Three were arrested and three were just executed.? The stories about how these kids – most were under 30 – faced their deaths are chilling.? We complain about water boarding – many were raped and then executed.? Plus – the government charged the families for the bullet that killed them.? Yet – our government did nothing but jumped to unseat the leader of Egypt – one of our allies for years – and now we have the Brotherhood – more deaths to come. ?



  8. Anne-EH on February 23, 2012 at 8:49 am

    The passing along of the death sentence to?Youcef Nadarkhani in Iran is a very important reminder, and taking on a whole new meaning during this Christian Lenten season that in the Muslim world, those who are Christian, who follow Christ are being attacked much more often.



  9. phil on February 23, 2012 at 9:47 am

    Didn’t Barry convert from Islam to Christianity?



    • Murphy on February 23, 2012 at 12:00 pm

      But Phil didn’t you catch the wink wink nod.



    • Dimsdale on February 24, 2012 at 10:44 am

      Is there an emoticon for that?? I have the winking part…? 😉



  10. winnie on February 24, 2012 at 6:46 am

    Did anyone think that someone of the left-persuasion would comment on this post?? I didn’t…So many negatives about Christianity from that side of the aisle but when it comes to Islam we’re supposed to be oh, so tolerant and welcome them with open arms…and not racially profile people in our airports to avoid another 9/11.?
    …coming to a country/city near you.? Europe bettah watch out.
    ?



    • Lynn on February 24, 2012 at 6:58 am

      Ah, Winnie, hit the nail on the head, exactly right. At least Bob Beckel, resident Liberal on Fox will defend Christianity/Judaism to the highest degree. He also calls on peaceful? Muslims to? cry out against the atrocities of the Muslim fanatics. I respect any Liberal who can speak his own views rather than parrot the ONE ideology.



    • winnie on February 24, 2012 at 10:46 am

      Alas, Lynn, so many of them just parrot because they’re incapable of thinking for themselves.? Beckel’s stance surprises me, but I’ll totally give him props for thinking outside the box and for himself.



    • phil on February 24, 2012 at 8:30 am

      …welcome them with open arms? Well, with arms, anyway.? Locked and loaded.? To paraphrase, If they bring a knife (scimitar) you bring a gun.?? Not racism, realism.



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