The Iranian authorities are so deeply anti-Semitic that anything they dislike is “Zionist,” no matter what the facts of the case really are. These converts, however, are getting off easy: Shi’ite Islam, like Sunni Islam, prescribes the death penalty for apostasy:
Shaykh al-Kulayni narrates a sahíh (correct) hadith from `Ammãr as-Sãbãti who said: I heard (Imam) Abu `Abdullãh (as-Sãdiq) (a.s.) saying, “A Muslim from among the Muslims who renounces Islam and rejects the prophethood of Muhammad and considers him untrue, then verily his blood is lawful (mubãh) for anyone who hears that from him, his wife is to be separated from him the day he became murtad, his wealth will be divided among his heirs, and his wife will observe the `idda of a widow (i.e., four months). The Imam is obliged to kill him, and not ask him to seek forgiveness.” (Furu al-Kãfi, vol. 7, p. 257)
“Converts summoned to begin prison sentences for ‘spreading “Zionist” Christianity,’” Article 18, February 9, 2022:
Three Christian converts from the northern city of Rasht have been summoned to begin serving prison sentences of between two and five years for “acting against national security” by attending a house-church and “spreading ‘Zionist’ Christianity”.
Ramin Hassanpour, his wife Saeede, and another woman, Sakine (Mehri) Behjati, have until the end of February to hand themselves in to Branch 1 of the Office for the Execution of Judgments in Tehran’s 33rd district.
The two women are to serve two-year sentences, while Ramin’s sentence is five years.
A fourth member of their group, Hadi (Moslem) Rahimi, is already serving his own four-year sentence.
The four Christians, all members of the non-Trinitarian “Church of Iran”, were first arrested in February 2020.
In May 2020, they spent a week in Lakan Prison in Rasht, having been unable to afford the 500 million toman bail ($30,000) set for them after the charges against them were read out at Branch 10 of the Revolutionary Court in Rasht.
They were eventually released on reduced bail of 200 million tomans ($11,500).
However, they were sentenced in August 2020, and their appeals were rejected in September 2020….
Wellington says
There is a war on Christianity as there is on Jews. It’s sickening, phony, stupid and vile. The two chief culprits here are Leftism and Islam. Here’s more proof, this time in Finland.
https://redstate.com/streiff/2022/02/17/finnish-member-of-parliament-and-lutheran-bishop-face-prison-time-for-speaking-out-for-christian-beliefs-n523592
mortimer says
The biggest war inside Iran is against the Bahai’i religion. It is a genocide.
Wellington’s views are proved by the latest PEW research which shows that Leftists tend to be very irreligious.
There are almost NO Leftists similar to Alan Dershowitz who has a keen interest defending in human rights, as well as having a deep understanding of the Puritan religious views which are the bedrock of the US republic. Without those bedrock views, the constitution will not be supported by enough to prevent its being destroyed. The belief that all are equal under God is negated by most Leftists today who belief in their own intellectual superiority, even though they are morally empty. The Leftists of today could easily be coaxed to join a massive religious persecution of Jews and Christians if they thought they could get away with it.
Wellington says
Indeed, mortimer, Alan Dershowitz is a dying breed, i.e., an old-fashion liberal who is stalwart in defense of freedom (Tulsi Gabbard is an even rarer version of old-fashion liberalism because of her youth).
Leftism cares nothing about freedom but rather control and dominance. It is totalitarian in nature, examples being the Squad, Biden (or more accurately his handlers), Ardern and Trudeau, and spouts platitudes about liberty while not believing in liberty at all.
What Leftists emphasize is equality over liberty and which is ALWAYS a prescription for descent and all kinds of malevolent and stupid social engineering, which invariably means more and more government and the more government you have the smaller the citizen; in other words, a loss of freedom.
James Lincoln says
Wellington,
And Alan Dershowitz, even today, still identifies as being a Democrat.
Can you speculate why?
Wellington says
James, I don’t know why anyone would be a Democrat. Tulsi Gabbard remaining one puzzles me even more. I actually wrote to her when she was still in Congress and conveyed to her that I respect her but that she should either become a Republican or register as an Independent and caucus with the Republicans. Got no reply.
Perhaps some like Dershowitz, Gabbard, Sinema and Manchin think they can bring the old Democratic Party back. I don’t think so though. I believe the Democratic Party needs to go the way of the Whig Party—gone forever. It’s past the point of no return. As Senator Kennedy of Louisiana recently said, the Democratic Party has lost its mind.
James Lincoln says
Wellington,
Thank you for your reply, pretty much what I had thought.
James Lincoln says
Excellent article, Wellington – and thanks for the link.
From that article:
“The prosecutor made a distinction between the internal and external side of religious freedom: people are allowed to think what they want, but the expression of faith can be restricted.”
I guess the courts in Finland do not think much about “freedom of speech”. Makes me wonder if the courts will apply the same “standard” to muslims in Finland.
And that precious freedom is hanging by a thread in the United States…
gravenimage says
Thank you, Wellington, Mortimer, and James.
somehistory says
I believe that man was the one written about in the article …posted here on JW not long ago…about the lady in government who had made some comments …years ago.. regarding the teaching of her own church, comments on the Bible and they had her go down to the police station and from there, made charges against her.
Once it is against the law for a person to quote the Bible…recall the man in the U.K. who was arrested for quoting Churchill,…and to give any personal opinion about the Truth of what it says, or just agreeing with it, there is no real freedom left.
gravenimage says
Grimly true, Somehistory.
raja says
Somehistory,
So Churchill is a “bad boy” in UK these days and the mudslimes and leftist fascists are “good boys”
When a nation or nations keep out God this could easily be a natural corollary
Romans 1:18 reads thus:
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper.
somehistory says
Christians are not unaware of the hatred they face from satan’s world. It doesn’t make it any easier to endure, but endurance means they “will be saved.” (Mark 13)
Jesus said, “Count the cost.” This is a part of what He meant by that command. The “cost” of being His disciple can be great, but it is well worth the reward that awaits the faithful.
gravenimage says
Iran: Converts from Islam to Christianity begin prison sentences for spreading ‘Zionist’ Christianity
…………..
Just awful–and all of them will likely face violence in prison, both from officials and guards and from other prisoners who are Muslim.
raja says
Amen Simplehistory
raja says
Makes me wonder if the courts will apply the same “standard” to muslims in Finland.
Yes James, It is serious. Leftist thugs and fascists are everywhere. You never know what is in store for justice.
OLD GUY says
islam is just plain awful. They bitch about islamophobia and their women’s prison suits being restricted and they put you and me in prison for preaching christianity in their islamic countries.
Stop the islamic migration invasion of your country or you will be living under the same dictatorship rules as the people in Iran. Stop sending millions or should I say BILLIONS of OUR tax dollars to support these brutal islamic countries, we are supporting the WAR against ourselves with these contributions.
Wellington says
James, I don’t know why anyone would be a Democrat. Tulsi Gabbard remaining one puzzles me even more. I actually wrote to her when she was still in Congress and conveyed to her that I respect her but that she should either become a Republican or register as an Independent and caucus with the Republicans. Got no reply.
Perhaps some like Dershowitz, Gabbard, Sinema and Manchin think they can bring the old Democratic Party back. I don’t think so though. I believe the Democratic Party needs to go the way of the Whig Party—gone forever. It’s past the point of no return. As Senator Kennedy of Louisiana recently said, the Democratic Party has lost its mind.
libertyORdeath says
Now that is rich.
Zionism has joined the ranks of “nazi”, “fascist”, “racist”, “islamophobic” and “democracy”.
Words that are basically meaningless.
Reminds me of the quote from the former CIA Director William Casey that I’ve been seeing on these comment forums – “We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.”