Category: Islam


Free Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani

Filed under: Islam, persecution, religious freedom — Leave a comment
March 17, 2012

Last week I mentioned Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, arrested and sentenced to death in Iran for changing his religion and telling Muslims the truth about Jesus.  Support and advocacy for the pastor is growing around the world as people realise the brutal truth about religious freedom in some Muslim-dominated nations.

Pastor Nadarkhani is under constant pressure to renounce his faith and embrace Islam in order to have the charges annulled and the death sentence lifted.  He has not obliged.

This week a member of the Dutch Parliament delivered a petition with more than 20,000 signatures to the Iranian Embassy in The Hague, urging Iran to revoke the death sentence and order Nadarkhani’s immediate release.  And a group called Christian Solidarity Worldwide has launched a month of prayer and action for him in the run-up to his 34th birthday on April 12.

What can we do?  Pray for Pastor Nadarkhani, and contact Australian politicians, asking them to defend religious freedom and save this man’s life.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 18 Mar 2012.

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Iranian pastor faces execution

Filed under: capital punishment, Islam, persecution — Leave a comment
March 17, 2012

Iranian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani was the spiritual leader of a 400-member Christian congregation, and a network of Christian house churches in the city of Rasht in northwestern Iran.

But in October 2009, Pastor Nadarkhani was arrested for changing his religion, evangelising Muslims, and a number of moral offences that have since been dismissed.  His punishment was recently upgraded to a death sentence, and reports indicate that an execution order has been issued and he could be executed at any time.

Wherever the fundamental human rights to freedom of religion and freedom of conscience are denied, responsible citizens have a duty to speak for justice and take appropriate action to defend these basic rights.

The Australian Government must continue to express its opposition to the execution order, and Christians need to pray for Pastor Nadarkhani, and take responsible action themselves to demand that the Iranian Government reverse the execution order and order his immediate release.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 11 Mar 2012.

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Misuse of the term “Islamophobia”

Filed under: interfaith dialogue, Islam — Leave a comment
February 17, 2012

Along with the term “Islamist extremists,” a synonym for religiously motivated terrorists, the word “Islamophobia” is used increasingly today to describe a fear, perhaps an irrational fear, of Muslim faith and culture.

As Dr David Claydon has observed, the term “Islamophobia” was apparently coined by Iranian fundamentalists in the 1970s to create a link between their religion and racism, in order to highlight alleged discrimination against Muslims. There is no equivalent word to describe fear of other religious communities.

But Islamic belief is not racially determined; it’s a school of thought, and therefore not beyond criticism.  Yet those who make remarks critical of Islam are sidelined as purveyors of “Islamophobia.”  It’s time we ditched the word.

The way to overcome legitimate fears is to examine what we don’t understand, and develop friendships with Muslim people near where we live.  Less hostility and more hospitality all round would go a long way to making Australia a more harmonious society.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 12 Feb 2012.

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Muslims attack Nigerian Christians

Filed under: Africa, Islam, persecution — 1 Comment
February 10, 2012

Unprovoked and deadly attacks on Christians by Islamic extremists have been on the increase since Christmas, none more so than in Nigeria, where the Boko Haram group is seeking to impose sharia law.

On January 2, Boko Haram issued an ultimatum giving southerners and Christians three days to leave the north of Nigeria or face further violence.

On January 4, bombs exploded in two northern cities, killing 20.

In January 5, Boko Haram members shot dead three southerners, and then attacked the families as they made funeral arrangements, killing a further 12 and wounding more than 30.

On January 6, Boko Haram gunmen burst into a church in Adamawa and killed 12 young Christian leaders.

Boko Haram has support in the Nigerian government, military and police.  And it’s increasingly difficult to maintain law and order when violence is motivated and justified by religion.  If extremists can overturn the rule of law in Africa, they can do it closer to home.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 15 Jan 2012.

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Egyptian military attacks Copts

Filed under: Islam, persecution, violence — Leave a comment
October 14, 2011

In the worst violence in Egypt since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, at least 40 people were killed and hundreds injured in Cairo last Sunday when police and armed forces opened fire on a peaceful march protesting against the destruction of a Coptic church in Mari Nab, Aswan.

According to local sources, most of the casualties suffered gunshot wounds, while several protesters were killed or seriously injured when security forces drove armoured vehicles into the 150,000 strong crowd.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the bereaved and injured, and with all Coptic Christians in Australia today.

Copts have a long history of persecution and marginalisation in Egyptian society, and there was hope that the Arab Spring would bring change.  But it appears the Muslim Brotherhood-backed military council has dashed these hopes.

The Australian Government must send Egypt a strong and unapologetic message that military attacks on religious minorities can never be justified.

Broadcast on 2CH Sydney, 16 October 2011.

UPDATE:

Since I wrote the comments above (on 13 October) the Parliament of Australia has responded to the recent violence.  See the following:

Australian Parliament calls for an end to Coptic persecution in Egypt

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