Iran seeks death penalty for converts from Islam

Tehran,
March 19, 2008
(AKI)

In its first session since last week's general elections, the new Iranian parliament is expected to discuss a law that will condemn to death anyone who decides to leave the Muslim faith and convert to other religions.

The parliament, also known as the Majlis, will debate the new law which has been presented by the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Under the proposed law, anyone who is born to Muslim parents and decides to convert to another faith, will face the death penalty.

Currently converts, particularly those who have decided to leave the Muslim faith for Evangelical churches, are arrested and then released after some years of detention.

The new legislation, which has caused concern in Iran and abroad, was proposed mainly because of fears of proselytising activities by Evangelical churches particularly through the use of satellite channels.

There has also been concern over fact that many young people in Iran have abandoned Islam because they're tired of the many restrictions imposed by the faith. (Come unto me ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest. – In this case the rest is from Talmudic Islam)

According to unofficial sources, in the past five years, one million Iranians, particularly young people and women, have abandoned Islam and joined Evangelical churches. (In this case here the bloated numbers which these evangelists proclaim as their success – Is as the sin of David Numbering Israel, and here this false numbering, will now bring death sentences to innocent sheep, while these false shepherds, wolves dressed in shepherds clothing live a half world away, in the lap of luxury, feeling no fear or pain of what they have brought upon the flock of God.)

This phenomenon has surprised even the missionaries who carry out their activities in secret in Iran.

An Evangelical priest and former Muslim in Iran told Adnkronos International (AKI) that the conversions were "interesting, enthusiastic but very dangerous".

"The high number of conversions is the reason that the government has decided to make the repression of Christians official with this new law," said the priest on condition of anonymity.

"Often we get to know about a new (Christian) community that has been formed, after a lot of time, given that the people gather in homes to pray and often with rituals that they invent without any real spiritual guide," he told AKI. (This appears to be a problem with the Christian evangelical and Christian fundamentalist orthodoxy – where they find to their great disdain their own sacred Talmudic Christian beliefs are not being adhered to. This may well be a case where these converts read the bible unfiltered [One thing a Muslim convert would believe, is that the word of God is to be read and understood literally, and thus literally obeyed.] thus believing and do things that Evangelicals and Fundamentalist long ago cast aside, and ignoring their Talmudic Christian traditions.)

"We find ourselves facing what is more than a conversion to the Christian faith," he said. "It's a mass exodus from Islam." (If only this were true, the elections held in Iran would be a lot different than in the latest elections where more and more hard liners are being elected to their parliament. The unnamed source here is completely suspect. And if these thing he were saying were so would not such a one fear to betray believers? How secure do you suppose the offices of this paper are to be free from espionage, and hackers seeking out the reporter and his “Source(s)?”)

Richard Wurmbrand wrote a definitive essay on the underground church and the first law or principal he set forth is that is to be invisible, hidden, and remain secret; for the protection of the members of it and their households. [To which we will add that an underground church does not draw attention to itself, it does not publish its numbers, nor would it declare that its evangelism is causing “a mass exodus” from Islam.])

Since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, at least eight Christians have been killed for their faith.

Seven of them were found stabbed to death after they were kidnapped while only one, Seyyed Hossein Soudmand was condemned to death.

http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Religion/?id=1.0.1988866222