Tag Archives: Islam

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Thousands of Muslims demand Sharia law in Tunisia

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Political Map of Africa
Political Map of Africa

Huntr sent me this disturbing AP article.

Excerpt:

Several thousand men and women demonstrated outside the Tunisian parliament on Friday to demand the inclusion of Islamic law in the north African country’s future constitution.

“The people want the application of God’s sharia”, “Our Koran is our constitution”, “No constitution without sharia,” and “Tunisia is neither secular nor scientific, it is an Islamic state”, cried the protesters, drawn mainly from the Islamist Salafist movement.

Some men climbed on the roof of the building and unfurled a banner that read: “The people belong to God.”

Several women sported the niqab, or full-face veils.

Tunisia’s moderate Islamist leaders, who took power following last year’s ouster of strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali after a popular uprising, are under pressure from a radical Muslim fringe.

The ultra-conservative Salafists have in recent months demanded full-face veils for female university students, castigated a TV channel for an allegedly blasphemous film and beaten up journalists at a protest.

“We are here today to peacefully demand the application of sharia in the new constitution. We will not impose anything by force on the Tunisian people, we just want that the people are convinced of the principles,” said Marwan, a 24-year-old trader.

Sharia law in Malaysia condones child marriages, even as young as 11 years old – as long as the Sharia court approves it. Here’s a story about about a child aged 9 given to someone in marriage, in Yemen.

News

Christian woman tortured, paraded in streets for “anti-Islam” views

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From the Times of India.

Excerpt:

Lahore: A Christian woman was brutally tortured and paraded in the streets of a village in Pakistan’s Punjab province by a mob for her alleged “anti-Islam views”, local residents and police officials said today.

Some 30 residents of Kot Meerath village of Sialkot district, 80 km from Lahore, dragged Seema Bibi out of her house on February 26 and paraded her in the streets after shaving her head.

She was targeted by the mob for her alleged “anti-Islam views”, members of the Christian community said.

Following the assault, Seema Bibi and her family left the village to save their lives, local residents said.

“She and her family had been facing threats from a group of extremist villagers. She left the village as she had no other option,” said Aslam Masih, a resident of Kot Meerath.

[…]Police had stepped up their vigil due to tensions between Muslims and Christians in the village, he said.

Please pray for this brave woman and her family.

News

Iran court convicts Christian pastor to death for apostasy from Islam

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Mary sent me this article from Fox News.

Excerpt:

Germany’s top human rights official is urging Iran to release a pastor sentenced to death for converting to Christianity.

Markus Loening said Wednesday the German government is extremely concerned about Yusuf Naderkhani’s fate amid reports of his imminent execution.

Loening urged Tehran to “release Naderkhani, lift his death sentence and grant him a fair trial.”
He says an execution also breaches international obligations guaranteeing religious freedom.

Naderkhani, who is in his early 30s, converted to Christianity when he was 19 and later became a pastor in the Iranian city of Rasht. He was convicted of apostasy in 2010.

The U.S. government called for his release last year and Germany summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest Naderkhani’s continued imprisonment.

Germany is not the only one trying to do something to free the convicted Iranian pastor.

Excerpt:

Lawmakers in Congress have joined the fight to save an Iranian Christian pastor who has been sentenced to death for refusing to renounce his faith.

A resolution sponsored by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA) denounces Iran for its leaders’ ruling of apostasy against Youcef Nadarkhani and calls for his immediate release.

“Iran has become more isolated because of their drive for nuclear weapons, and the fundamentalist government has stepped up persecution of religious minorities to deflect criticism,” Pitts told FoxNews.com. “The persecuted are their own citizens whose only crime is practicing their faith.”

Nadarkhani was born to a Muslim family and admits that he was introduced to the teachings of Islam, but claims he never accepted the faith. The charge of apostasy, which in Iran carries the death penalty, is leveled at those who abandon their faith.

Pitts introduced the measure on Friday and so far has the support of seven other members. Nearly 90 members of Congress previously signed a letter supporting Nadarkhani.

Nadarkhani, who also held house church services in Iran, was facing execution after being convicted of apostasy in November of 2010, but appealed his conviction all the way up to the Iranian Supreme Court. That trial was held in the Gilan Provence last September, when he refused to renounce his Christianity. Nadarkhani has been detained for a total of 858 days.

It would be nice if the President or the United Nations had something to say about this, but I don’t think they will.

UPDATE: Jason from New Zealand writes in the comments:

According to the Iranian Christian News Agency, Yousef Nadarkhani isn’t a Christian. He denies the trinity and believes a whole lot of other strange things.

Nevertheless, what is happening to him is abhorrent and we need to pray – and speak up – for his release.