Christian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is facing a death sentence in Iran. This 34-year-old husband and father of two sons was arrested in 2009, charged with apostasy, or renouncing Islam. Nadarkhani refuted the charges, saying that he had never embraced Islam. After appealing an initial conviction and death sentence, a lower court found that Nardarkhani had not practiced Islam as an adult, but ruled that he was still guilty of apostasy since he was born into a Muslim home. Since his conviction, Iranian officials have pressured Nadarkhani to recant Christianity, including an ultimatum in December. They offered the pastor his freedom if he would say that the Muslim prophet Mohammed was a messenger sent by God. Nadarkhani refused.
(From WORLD magazine, March 10, 2012 issue.)
Please join me and pray for Youcef and his family.
Grace, Kathy
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